The numbers are in, and Tom Cruise has suffered a box office disaster with ‘Digger.’
The big-budget satire opened to a devastating $8 million across 3,321 North American theaters, placing fifth for the weekend and handing Cruise one of the weakest theatrical debuts of his career.
And against the movie’s enormous price tag, the picture gets considerably worse.
According to Variety, production on ‘Digger’ ultimately ballooned to an estimated $160 million-$180 million after running long. Warner Bros. is also said to have spent around $100 million marketing the film globally.
That leaves the Alejandro González Iñárritu-directed release staring at an estimated theatrical loss of $150 million-$200 million, potentially placing it among the biggest box office bombs in Hollywood history.
International audiences offered little rescue. ‘Digger’ added just $12 million overseas for a worldwide opening of only $20 million. Industry estimates put its theatrical break-even point somewhere between $300 million and $350 million.
The collapse is especially striking given Cruise’s box office reputation. His 2022 blockbuster ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ ultimately soared beyond $1.4 billion worldwide.
Reception has also been rocky. Audiences handed ‘Digger’ a C+ CinemaScore, while Warner Bros. attempted to turn sharply divided reviews into part of the film’s marketing campaign.
Cruise had passionately championed the movie’s practical filmmaking during promotion, even declaring of its handcrafted production: “AI can’t do that.”
For a film conceived as a major original swing, however, the biggest drama may now be unfolding off-screen.