After nearly fifteen years on ice, Disney thawed out the Tron franchise with the 2025 movie release Tron: Ares, hoping it would finally kickstart the reboot they’ve been trying to make happen for over a decade. But despite the neon visuals and big-budget push, the third installment didn’t exactly upload itself into blockbuster territory. Still, if you’re expecting Jeff Bridges to be bitter about the movie's underperformance, well, man, that’s just not his style. He channels the Dude in his response, and I love it.
Returning to the Tron universe after more than a decade since his last foray, Bridges reprised a version of Kevin Flynn in Ares, his first movie role in seven years. Despite the high expectations, cutting-edge visuals, and the ever-divisive presence of Jared Leto, the film fizzled at the box office, raising questions about whether the Grid still had a pulse. But when Entertainment Weekly brought up the lukewarm reception, Bridges kept it as cool—and philosophical—as ever, saying:
Even as an individual, often, I have not liked a movie. And then a couple weeks or months later, I'll see it again. I'll say, ‘What was I thinking?’ [Laughs] As the Dude would say, ‘That's just like your opinion, man.
It’s the kind of grounded response you’d expect from someone who’s played an iconic Zen slacker and also survived both cancer and COVID. In the same interview, Bridges compared the narrative around Tron: Ares to the backlash Heaven’s Gate received in 1980, another film initially deemed a flop that later was reappraised as an ambitious, misunderstood gem.
For those unfamiliar, Heaven’s Gate (1980) was one of the most infamous box office disasters in Hollywood history. Directed by Michael Cimino, fresh off his Oscar-winning success with The Deer Hunter, the film had an all-star cast, including Kris Kristofferson, Jeff Bridges, and Christopher Walken, and a massive $44 million budget. But it only pulled in $3.5 million, becoming a cautionary tale for big-budget ambition gone wrong.
Though it’s largely remembered as a legendary flop (and now shares its name with a cult, which doesn’t help), the film has seen a mild critical reappraisal in recent years, and Bridges talked about how a director's cut of Heaven's Gate will screen theatrically in November. So by all means, Tron: Ares could have its own fan-fest in 30 years.
Tron: Ares may not have stuck the landing at the box office, but Bridges’ perspective is a reminder that some films, much like Heaven's Gate, just take time to find their people. Sure, that’s not exactly great news for a franchise and studio banking on immediate returns, but it’s a hopeful way of looking at things. And who knows—maybe after Ares finds its cult footing, Disney will pull this dusty old cartridge out of the bargain bin, blow it off, and jam it back into the console that is the movie industry. If nothing else, the Tron faithful can keep hoping for one more ride on the Grid.
It isn’t the best movie of the year, sure, but as my colleague Hugh Scott points out, there are a ton of reasons to catch Tron: Ares in theaters still. It looks great and has a killer Nine Inch Nails soundtrack. And sure, you could wait to see the movie when it lands on streaming with your Disney+ subscription, but it's hard to imagine it’ll have the same impact, no matter how big your home theater system is, as seeing it in the cinema with an audience.
Whether Ares gets a redemption arc like Heaven’s Gate is anyone’s guess, but one thing’s sure: Jeff Bridges isn’t sweating the box office. Tron: Ares is still playing in theaters, so check your local listings. And if you’re feeling nostalgic, you can stream Heaven’s Gate with an Amazon Prime subscription, or The Big Lebowski, which is available if you have an HBO Max subscription.
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