Alejandro González Iñárritu’s environmental satire “Digger,” headlined by Tom Cruise, is heading toward historic box office deficits after ticket sales plunged 60 percent during its second weekend in theaters, industry analysts reported.
The dark comedy added to a weak debut, bringing its domestic total to $14.4 million and its worldwide haul to $35.3 million, according to figures reported by Variety. Industry sources told the trade outlet that the Warner Bros. release is now projected to finish its theatrical run with approximately $50 million globally, potentially resulting in a loss of about $245 million. TheWrap similarly projected losses could reach $250 million by the time the film concludes its run.
High costs and a steep decline
The steep financial exposure stems from substantial production and promotion expenses. Warner Bros. initially greenlit the R-rated project at $125 million, but filming delays drove production costs to between $160 million and $180 million, Variety and ComingSoon.net reported. Warner Bros. poured roughly $100 million more into international marketing campaigns.
Because theater operators keep roughly half of box office admissions, industry calculations indicated the film required around $350 million worldwide to break even. A Warner Bros. spokesperson disputed that threshold, stating the movie needed $300 million to reach profitability, Variety reported. Adding to the studio’s financial hurdles, Cruise holds a first-dollar gross agreement granting him a percentage of box office receipts before the studio recoups its expenses.
The film opened to just $8 million in North America across more than 3,300 theaters, finishing fifth in its first weekend, Box Office Mojo data showed. That marked Cruise’s lowest domestic opening in 19 years, dating back to “Lions for Lambs” in 2007. Ticket buyers gave the movie a lukewarm C+ grade on CinemaScore, signaling muted word-of-mouth appeal.
Star appeals fail to draw audiences
In the film, Cruise portrays Digger Rockwell, an oil tycoon whose firm triggers a looming ecological crisis. Cruise responded to the initial box office numbers last week, telling reporters that he has never evaluated projects based on opening frame figures.
“I never thought of movies when I’m making them [in terms of] opening weekend,” Cruise said, according to BBC News, adding he preferred making films that “hopefully will translate, last and evolve.”
Several prominent entertainment figures publicly championed the production and urged moviegoers to visit cinemas, including Anne Hathaway, Jane Fonda, Mandy Patinkin and filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. However, those endorsements did little to slow the second-week slide.
The film’s performance stands in contrast to Cruise’s recent run of franchise successes, which included “Top Gun: Maverick” in 2022 and “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” in 2025. Box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian told Comscore that Cruise’s marquee status could not turn an unconventional dark comedy into an automatic blockbuster.
Corporate headwinds for Warner Bros.
The shortfall deepens a challenging stretch for Warner Bros., which has not seen any of its releases top $100 million domestically this year following commercial misfires such as “The Bride” and “Supergirl.” Studio leaders Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy stepped down last Friday, right as the movie reached theaters, Variety reported.
The film also marks the studio’s final standalone theatrical release prior to finalizing its merger with Paramount Skydance. Warner Bros. is seeking a box office turnaround later this year, with director Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi sequel “Dune: Part III” scheduled to arrive in theaters in December, while the ultimate long-term financial fallout of “Digger” across post-theatrical platforms remains to be seen.
