Tom Cruise’s high-profile satirical film Digger suffered a disastrous opening weekend at the North American box office. It pulled in just $8 million and landed in fifth place. The dismal debut marks one of the lowest opening weekends of Cruise’s legendary career.
Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu and distributed by Warner Bros., the black comedy features Cruise transformed as an aging, pot-bellied oil tycoon named Digger Rockwell. In the film, he faces a massive environmental disaster of his own making. Despite the star power and auteur pedigree, the film struggled immensely to find an audience.
The financial fallout poses a major problem for Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group. Digger carried a production budget estimated between $125 million and $180 million, alongside a reported $100 million marketing campaign. Internationally, the film fared little better. It generated only $12 million across 74 foreign markets, bringing its global opening total to a meager $20 million.
Critical Reception and Audience Backlash
Audiences and critics alike were sharply divided over the eccentric project. Viewers awarded the film a dismal C+ CinemaScore, ranking it among the lowest grades in Cruise’s filmography. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie holds a 51 percent critical approval rating. Many reviewers panned the picture as a muddled and strained climate change farce.
Third-party tracking services initially suggested Digger might open closer to $30 million. However, interest eroded rapidly in the days leading up to its release. The poor performance follows a trend of steep career risks for Cruise outside of established action franchises like Top Gun: Maverick and Mission: Impossible, echoing historical misfires like 2007’s Lions for Lambs.
Box Office Standings and Industry Impact
While Digger stumbled, other titles dominated the weekend box office. Amazon MGM Studios’ adaptation of the Colleen Hoover novel Verity claimed the top spot in North America with $32.6 million. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. faces Digger as its final theatrical release before the finalized merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery.
Weekend Domestic Box Office Estimates
- Verity: $32.6 million
- Resident Evil: $12.5 million
- Heart of the Beast: $11.0 million
- Primetime: $8.0 million
- Digger: $8.0 million
Despite the steep losses surrounding Digger, Cruise has already looked ahead to future projects. He is slated to return to familiar, action-driven territory with the upcoming production of Days of Thunder 2.
