Tom Cruise's 'Digger' Flops, Could Lose Warner Bros. $150 Million
Tom Cruise's latest movie, "Digger," has crashed at the box office, and it could cost Warner Bros. about $150 million.
The dark comedy from Oscar-winning director Alejandro G. Iñárritu opened to just $8 million in North American theaters over the weekend of October 2 to 4. It added $12 million overseas, for a global debut of about $20 million.
A Rare Misfire for Tom Cruise
The opening is Cruise's lowest in 19 years. The last time one of his films started this slowly was the 2007 political drama "Lions for Lambs," according to JoBlo.
That is a surprising result for one of Hollywood's most dependable stars. Cruise's recent "Top Gun" and "Mission: Impossible" movies have earned hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide, and he has long been seen as one of the few actors who can still draw big crowds to theaters.
"Digger" tied for fourth place at the domestic box office, matching the second weekend of Robert Pattinson's "Primetime," which opened to $19.2 million the week before.
The Price Tag Behind the Loss
The film's net production budget reached about $160 million, up from an original $125 million after an extended shoot in the U.K., according to Deadline. With roughly $100 million more spent on marketing, the movie's total global costs are estimated at about $275 million.
That gap is what led Deadline to project a loss of about $150 million for Warner Bros.
Audiences were lukewarm. Moviegoers gave the film a C+ CinemaScore, and it holds a 51% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes. Online buzz also cooled ahead of release. Social media tracking firm RelishMix said positive sentiment fell from 8.1 out of 10 in mid-September to 6.4 by opening weekend, with some viewers calling the trailer "confusing" and asking whether the film was "satire or self-parody."
The disappointment comes at a tricky time for the studio. "Digger" was billed as Warner Bros.' final release before its pending merger, Screen Rant noted. Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders approved a merger with Paramount Skydance earlier this year. The studio also saw its DC superhero film "Supergirl" open below expectations this summer.
What Is 'Digger' About?
Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, an oil tycoon described as "the most powerful man in the world," who races to prove he is humanity's savior before a disaster he unleashed destroys everything.
The satirical black comedy also stars Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons and Emma D'Arcy. It was shot on 35mm film in the VistaVision format at Pinewood Studios and premiered in London on September 22. Filming began in November 2024 and wrapped in the spring of 2025, with the production at one point using the working title "Judy." The film opened in U.S. and U.K. theaters on October 2.
Iñárritu is best known for the Oscar-winning films "Birdman" and "The Revenant."
What Topped the Box Office Instead
The weekend belonged to "Verity," the thriller based on Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel. Starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, it opened to $32.6 million in North America and about $62.5 million worldwide on a $40 million budget.
"Resident Evil" placed second with $12.5 million, while "Heart of the Beast," starring Brad Pitt, earned $11 million.
Some of Cruise's allies argue that even a misfire adds to the long-term value of his film library, which is estimated at $14 billion across 53 titles. Still, with a loss this size projected, "Digger" is shaping up as one of the biggest misfires of his career.
Curious for more stories that keep you informed and entertained? From the latest headlines to everyday insights, YourLifeBuzz has more to explore. Dive into what’s next.