(CNN) — Disney’s “Tron: Ares” revved up to gross about $33.5 million at the domestic box office, notching the top spot for the weekend.

The third installment of the decades-old “Tron” franchise fell short of analysts’ expectations of a more than $40 million opening. The sci-fi adventure film reportedly had a budget of about $180 million.

“Let’s give ‘Tron’ credit for being one of very few long-running franchises that can grab a No. 1 debut over 40 years after the first film,” said Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Comscore.

While it outperformed the tepid debut of the first “Tron,” which in 1982 earned $16.7 million, adjusted for inflation, “Tron: Ares” fell well short of the opening weekend success of “Tron: Legacy” ($65 million, adjusted for inflation) in 2010.

Param

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