Tom Cruise’s ‘Digger’ Faces Major Box Office Losses as Projections Rise
Tom Cruise has consistently defied expectations throughout his career, from thrilling stunts to blockbuster hits. However, his latest film, an ambitious satire directed by an acclaimed filmmaker, was anticipated to be another daring venture.
Unfortunately, its box office performance is shaping up to be one of the most discussed failures of the year, with projections worsening.
‘Digger‘ features Cruise alongside Alejandro G. Iñárritu, the two-time Best Director Oscar winner for ‘Birdman’ and ‘The Revenant’. In the film, Cruise portrays Digger Rockwell, a reckless oil tycoon whose irresponsible choices trigger a catastrophic ecological crisis.
The cast includes notable actors such as Sandra Hüller, John Goodman, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, Sophie Wilde, and Riz Ahmed. The film premiered in London on September 22, with hopes that it would position Cruise for an acting Oscar.
After its second weekend, ‘Digger’ is now projected to incur a loss of $245 million during its theatrical run, according to sources cited by Variety. This is a significant increase from the earlier estimates of $150 million to $200 million.
Ticket sales dropped by 60% in the second weekend, bringing the film’s total to $14.4 million domestically and $35.3 million globally. Variety anticipates it will conclude its run with approximately $50 million worldwide. Deadline’s forecast had initially suggested a slightly steeper 64% decline.
The film debuted to $8 million from 3,321 North American theaters and $20 million worldwide, landing in fifth place. This marked Cruise’s lowest opening since ‘Lions for Lambs’ in 2007, which opened with $6.7 million.
Pre-release tracking had been pessimistic, with projections dropping from $18 million to $20 million down to $12 million to $15 million. Weeks before the release, Cruise expressed concern that films now have only a weekend to prove themselves, a sentiment that has gained significance.
Initially greenlit at $125 million, the budget reportedly ballooned to between $160 million and $180 million due to production delays. Warner Bros. disputes these figures, claiming the budget is between $125 million and $150 million.
The studio also allocated an additional $100 million for global marketing. Sources estimate the worldwide break-even point at around $350 million, while a studio spokesperson suggests it is closer to $300 million.
Executives at Warner Bros.’ new parent company, Skydance, informed TheWrap that the projected loss could reach $250 million. This would place ‘Digger’ among infamous box office flops like ‘John Carter’, ‘The Lone Ranger’, and ‘The Marvels’.
The critical reception has been mixed, with the film holding a 51% score on Rotten Tomatoes, marking Cruise’s worst-reviewed film in nearly a decade.
Warner Bros. has embraced the mixed reviews with a unique advertising strategy encouraging audiences to form their own opinions. However, this approach did not significantly impact box office performance, despite the 18-to-34 demographic comprising 60% of the audience on opening weekend.
Typically, a film featuring a major star and a renowned director would warrant an Oscar campaign costing around $15 million. However, Variety reports that these efforts may now be scaled back due to the film’s lukewarm reception.
This would be a setback for a project designed as an awards contender. Deadline compared the film to ‘Birdman’, suggesting it should have been marketed as an arthouse awards title at a considerably lower budget.
A new trailer for ‘DIGGER’ has been released.
In theaters October 2. https://t.co/kTEeFZI14E— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) September 9, 2026
The studio has faced a challenging period. ‘Digger’ follows the disappointing performances of ‘Supergirl’ and ‘The Bride!’ in theaters, arriving after the merger that placed Warner Bros. under Skydance.
This weekend’s box office winner, ‘Other Mommy’, grossed $27.5 million, highlighting how lower-budget horror films have outperformed costly original productions. ‘Verity’ opened to $32.6 million during the same weekend ‘Digger’ premiered.
For Cruise, this setback is unusual. His ‘Mission: Impossible’ series has solidified his status as one of Hollywood’s most dependable box office draws, and few believe that one film will tarnish that reputation.
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