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October took a wrong turn at the boxoffice this weekend as TRON: ARES missed the $40-45M opening Hollywood handicappers were expecting.

Disney’s PG-13 sci-fi action adventure came in #1 with $33.5M at 4,000 theatres ($8,375), per Comscore. ARES added $27M internationally for a worldwide cume of $60.5M. BUDGET BUZZ: $180M to produce.

Directed by Joachim Rønning (MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL), ARES stars Jared Leto. It’s tracking best for first choice with men over 25 (12 points over norm). Rotten Tomatoes critics hate it at 56%, but audiences are happier at 86%.

Paramount/Miramax’s PG-13 crime bio-drama ROOFMAN opened #2 to $8M at 3,362 theatres ($2,380), per Comscore. It’s tracking for first choice below norm for all demos. Rotten Tomatoes critics are thumbs up at 85% and audiences agree at 83%. BUDGET BUZZ: $19M (from Miramax) to produce.

Directed by Derek Cianfrance (THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS), its stars
include Channing Tatum & Kirsten Dunst.

Sony/Branded Pictures Entertainment’s PG bio-drama SOUL ON FIRE debuted #5 with $3M at 1,720 theatres ($1,744). Directed by Sean McNamara (SOUL SURFER), its stars include William H. Macy & John Corbett.

SOUL’s tracking for first choice below norm for all demos. No Rotten Tomatoes critics score, but audiences are applauding at 98%.

Domestic ticket sales this weekend were $70.3M, according to Comscore Senior Media Analyst Paul Dergarabedian. That’s down 18.2% from the prior weekend and down 9% vs. this time last year. Comscore’s year to date tally has 2025 at $6.77B, up 3.82% from $6.52B in 2024. The prior weekend showed 2025 up 4.00% vs. last year. As of 6/8, Comscore showed 2025 leading by 26.08%.

Meanwhile, back at the multiplexes: ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER, from WB/Ghoulardi Film, was #3 in weekend three with $6.7M (-39%) at 3,127 theatres ($2,135). BATTLE’s done $54.5M domestic and $138M worldwide.

Written & directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (THERE WILL BE BLOOD), it stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn & Benicio del Toro.

Next weekend (10/17) 🐝🐝🐝🐝: Universal/Blumhouse Productions’ horror thriller BLACK PHONE 2 is opening at about 3,200 theatres.

Directed by Scott Derrickson (THE BLACK PHONE), BP2 stars Ethan Hawke, returning as The Grabber and seeking vengeance from beyond the grave. It’s tracking best for first choice with women over 25 (six points over norm). Rotten Tomatoes critics are favorable at 81%.

The franchise’s first episode opened 6/24/22 and did $161.4M worldwide on a production budget of $18M.

Amazon MGM Studios/Imagine Entertainment’s awards contender AFTER THE HUNT is expanding to about 1,200 theatres. It’s tracking for first choice below norm with all demos. Rotten Tomatoes critics are saying stay away at 44%.

Directed by Luca Guadagnino (CHALLENGERS), it stars Julia Roberts.