Originally Posted By cheesybaby According to the-numbers.com, Tron:Legacy has sold $12.5 million worth of DVDs and Blu-Rays during its first week of release. It was #2 on the chart (below Tangled). The new release of the original Tron was at #$7, selling $1.8 million worth.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox It's important to compare these figures to the first week of sales for Star Trek, which released in Nov 2009. (I'm comparing T:L sales to Star Trek, given that box office performance for both films was similar, minus the glaring difference of higher ticket prices for T:L thanks to 3D.) According to the same web site (www.the-numbers.com), during Star Trek's first week of release, it sold over 3.58 million DVD copies, for a total of $53 million in sales. There were two versions to choose from: three disc Blu-Ray set, and single disc DVD. TRON: Legacy, OTOH, sold just under 785,000 copies during its first week of release, with no less than FIVE different packages to choose from: Five disc Blu-Ray 3D collector's set Five disc Blu-Ray 3D combo set Four disc Blu-Ray (2D only) combo set Two disc Blu-Ray/DVD set Single disc DVD With five different packages to choose from, TRON: Legacy sold less than 22% of what Star Trek sold during its first week. Less than 22%! With five packages to choose from! Will someone please explain to me again why Disney is still considering a sequel to this film? With sales figures this weak -- compared to the JJ Star Trek reboot -- I just don't see any legs for this franchise. TRON merch didn't sell, video games didn't sell, and the international box office was mediocre, even with the added premium of 3D ticket prices (which Star Trek didn't have). And FWIW, TRON: Legacy has fallen out of Amazon's Top Ten sales list, which is still dominated by Tangled and Deathly Hallows. This franchise is DOA.
Originally Posted By Tony C <<(I'm comparing T:L sales to Star Trek, given that box office performance for both films was similar, minus the glaring difference of higher ticket prices for T:L thanks to 3D.)>> Are you talking Worldwide or Domestic? Domestically Trek made around 260 million. I think T:L has made 172 million.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox Over 3.5 million copies of Star Trek compared to less than 785,000 copies of TRON: Legacy. Burbank execs should just pull the plug.
Originally Posted By Tony C And don't underestimate Hollywood. They'll make a sequel to anything which is why we're getting Fast Five next weekend.
Originally Posted By Tony C Something to consider is that Tron itself just wasn't a big hit. It's a cult film. Of course everything that year 1982 was a victim of ET. But how's this for a murders row of sci fi films in summer of 1982: ET Tron Blade Runner The Thing Star Trek 2: Wrath of Khaaaaaaaaannnnnnn
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<And don't underestimate Hollywood. They'll make a sequel to anything which is why we're getting Fast Five next weekend.>> Hold the phone. The F&F franchise is actually quite profitable. They're very cheap films to make, between $38 mil for the first one in 2001, and $85 mil for the latest one in 2009. The box isn't huge, but the films consistently turn a profit. And DVD sales haven't been too shabby, either. Uni has a large enough core fan base for this franchise that more than pays for the production and distribution costs, returning a modest but reliable profit. Disney only wishes they had this with TRON.
Originally Posted By DlandDug >>It's important to compare these figures to the first week of sales for Star Trek...<< Well, of course. >>Will someone please explain to me again why Disney is still considering a sequel to this film?<< Because nobody there is as smart as we are? >>This franchise is DOA.<< The sky is falling! The sky is falling! I knew the moment I saw the OP that SOMEone would be here within the hour to drop as big a load of cold water as humanly possible. My faith has not been shaken!
Originally Posted By brotherdave Personally, I don't think it's fair to compare Tron to Star Trek. Star Trek has a MUCH bigger built-in fanbase when compared to Tron. There were a lot lower revenue producing films than Tron. It still isn't the worse movie to build a "franchise" around, especially from the Disney studios of late. Some other spectacular box office dissapointments from Disney were Prince of Persia and Sorcerer's Apprentice. Those films obviously will never see sequels, at least large budget theatrical ones. At least Tron pulled respectable numbers at the box office when compared to those stinkers.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<Personally, I don't think it's fair to compare Tron to Star Trek.>> I respectfully disagree. I think it's perfectly fair to compare TRON to Star Trek, given the fan hype both films received at ComicCon. The media attention and fan buzz both films generated by essentially the same movie-going demographic was also comparable. Disney fully expected this film to pull Alice numbers, but it didn't come close. So, the hopes for a third TRON film were pinned on the success of the DVD sales. But they're simply not there. Fanboy favorite Star Trek made almost $100 million in DVD sales over the course of 11 months, with more than half of that being earned in the first week of release. TRON: Legacy has made about $12.5 million during its first week, so I don't really expect it to earn more than $25 million total, if Star Trek sales are any indication of future performance. And I wouldn't be surprised if TRON's total take is far less than $25 mil. So would you expect Burbank execs to green light a sequel, based on DVD sales that marginal? Not unless they get closer to Star Trek numbers. <<At least Tron pulled respectable numbers at the box office when compared to those stinkers.>> Actually, that's not entirely true for Prince of Persia. It did rotten box domestically, but overseas box was better. PoP at least broke even, unlike Sorcerer's Apprentice. That was the stinker; big bomb domestic and foreign. What the heck was Disney thinking?
Originally Posted By cheesybaby I didn't think Tron's DVD sales would be spectacular, but I do admit I expected more than a $12.5 mil opening week considering most of the 5 flavors of the DVD/Blu-Ray had been in amazon's top 20 or so for a while. The comparisons to Sorcerer's Apprentice and Prince of Persia are apt IMO. They do not bode well for Tron: Sorcerer's Apprentice: Domestic theatrical: $63 mil Int'l theatrical: $152 mil DVD first week: $10.1 mil DVD lifetime: $23.8 mil Bottom line: franchise did not materialize Prince of Persia: Domestic theatrical: $91 mil Int'l theatrical: $244 mil DVD first week: $15.0 mil DVD lifetime: $34.0 mil Bottom line: franchise did not materialize Tron Legacy Domestic theatrical: $172 mil Int'l theatrical: $226 mil DVD first week: $12.5 mil DVD lifetime: ??? Bottom line: ???
Originally Posted By brotherdave I will still have to respectfully disagree with your Star Trek analogy. Star Trek has one of the largest fan bases ever, if not the largest. Granted, it's certainly not as strong as it once was, but I can think of only Star Wars or Harry Potter that might outnumber it for number of fans. The number of Tron fans would NEVER come that close. It's more of a "fringe" sci-fi cult compared to those other hard core sci-fi/fantasy movie franchises. I'm not sure what other movie franchise it would be fair to compare it to, but I wouldn't put it anywhere near the same league as Star Trek. But, it's still popular enough in some circles to have warranted the second film all these years later. Granted, the sequel was not possibly the box office draw that Disney was hoping for, but it certainly pulled enough fans in with it's 3-D Imax draw. Personally, I "liked" the movie, but wasn't necessarily enamored with it, either. It was definitely weak in the story dept. But the visuals were indeed stunning and awesome, and I could definitely see a theme park attraction appeal if done right. If a third film were made, I truly hope that they have some much better writers and a few good new actors to take it over the top, otherwise Tron is doomed to be just a mediocre cult franchise, with an awesome look and concept to it.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<If a third film were made, I truly hope that they have some much better writers and a few good new actors to take it over the top, otherwise Tron is doomed to be just a mediocre cult franchise, with an awesome look and concept to it.>> I believe it's already doomed. Even terrific writers and a boffo script won't get disappointed T:L movie goers back in the theater for the sequel. I don't see how another TRON film could possibly make more than Legacy, given how poorly it was reviewed and received, and how poorly the aftermarkets did, especially video games and merch. Moving forward would be a bad business decision.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox LOL, tonyanton! Truthfully... this is a particular cinematic genre (science fiction) that Disney has never done well. Fairy tales? They wrote the book. Screwball family comedy? Medfield College rules! Action adventure? Yo Ho, Yo Ho!! But science fiction? Weak. Very weak. Disney should just give it up and stop embarrassing themselves. Leave Sci-Fi to folks who get it.
Originally Posted By Kevin Flynn I don't know why you care if Disney goes forward with Tron. Is it hurting you somehow? Has the DVD Release been profitable? Yes. Okay then. Besides, what ELSE is in the works that Tron is detracting from? Probably not much.
Originally Posted By Kevin Flynn Personally I love what Disney did w Tron Legacy. I don't judge how I feel about a movie based on how successful it was at the box office.
Originally Posted By Kevin Flynn It wasn't Spiderman and it wasn't Cars. But it was FAR from being a financial loss.
