Jared Leto Shows Up to ‘Tron: Ares Screening’ in Hopes of Creating a Viral Moment, but It Doesn’t Go as Planned

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Jared Leto unexpectedly showed up at a screening of *Tron: Ares* in San Francisco this week, aiming to delight fans and generate buzz online.

I was really surprised by the turnout for the screening. The actor playing Ares, the AI character, just didn’t seem to get the reception he deserved – the theater was barely half full, which felt a little disheartening considering his performance.

Jared Leto greeting an almost empty theater 😭😭

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The newest Tron movie was released worldwide last week, but it hasn’t performed well at the box office, bringing in around $70 million so far. This is a significant drop from the $180 million it cost to make. Considering the series was once famous for its innovative effects and forward-thinking stories, these numbers indicate that audiences aren’t as interested this time.

Joachim Rønning directs *Tron: Ares*, the newest installment in the *Tron* series after 2010’s *Tron: Legacy*. The film stars Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Jodie Turner-Smith, Hasan Minhaj, Arturo Castro, and Gillian Anderson, and features a return appearance by Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn. Leto plays a program that’s become self-aware and is now venturing into the real world, adding a new dimension to the *Tron* story.

Work on a new Tron movie started soon after *Legacy* came out, and several different directors were considered for the project. Filming was put on hold because of the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strikes, but it finally began in Vancouver between January and May of 2024.

Nine Inch Nails created the film’s score, and its members, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, also worked as executive producers with the film’s director, Joseph Kosinski.

The movie *Tron: Ares* had its first showing in Los Angeles on October 6th and was released across the United States on October 10th. While it was highly anticipated, the film earned $33.5 million in the US and $60 million globally during its opening weekend – a bit less than predicted.

The film was expected to make between $85 and $95 million worldwide, but it didn’t meet those expectations in either domestic or international markets. Reviews from critics were mixed: Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 52% positive rating, and Metacritic scored it a 48 out of 100. Moviegoers, as measured by CinemaScore, gave it a “B+,” which is similar to ratings for previous films in the series.

The lukewarm response to *Dune: Part Two* might indicate how difficult it is to bring a beloved and previously popular series back to life.

He unexpectedly showed up hoping to create a buzz online, but with few people in the audience and a generally unenthusiastic response, it didn’t become the viral moment he likely wanted.

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2025-10-18 12:14