Tom Cruise's "Digger" on course for $245m loss after box office collapse
The eco-fable "Digger", starring Tom Cruise and directed by Alejandro G Iñárritu, took only $3.2m in its second North American weekend. Variety estimates studio Warner Bros will lose around $245m.
"Digger", an eco-fable from Hollywood studio Warner Bros starring Tom Cruise and directed by Alejandro G Iñárritu, is struggling badly at the box office. According to Variety, losses could reach around $245m (£185m), which would place it among the biggest financial disasters in film history.
Revenue falling
In its second weekend in North America the film earned an estimated $3.2m, a 60% drop from its $8m opening weekend. Its domestic total stands at $14.4m and its global total at $35.3m, with a projected final worldwide gross of around $50m.
Costs
Precise figures are unavailable. Variety estimates production costs of $160m–180m, well above the original $125m budget, plus about $100m spent on marketing. A further $15m was potentially available for awards-season promotion but is likely to be scaled back. Because cinemas keep roughly half of ticket revenue, Variety calculates the film would need about $350m to cover its costs. A Warner Bros spokesperson says the break-even point is $300m, implying a production spend of $150m.
A $245m loss would put "Digger" alongside "Cutthroat Island" ($222m, adjusted for inflation), "Mortal Engines" ($224m) and "The Marvels" ($205m–$250m).
Divided critics
Reviews have been sharply split. The Guardian's chief film critic Peter Bradshaw gave it two stars, while Guardian Australia deputy culture editor Sian Cain called it a masterpiece. Warner Bros tried to capitalise on the controversy by quoting negative reviews in post-release advertising, but this appears to have had little effect.
A difficult year for the studio
This is Warner Bros' last release before its takeover by David Ellison's Skydance. The year has been disappointing, with "Supergirl" and "The Bride!" underperforming, and co-chairs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy due to leave before the takeover. In 2025 the studio was second most successful, behind Disney.
Meanwhile, Aaron Sorkin's "The Social Reckoning", the sequel to "The Social Network", took an estimated $5.5m in North America and $9m globally on its first weekend. It was comfortably beaten by Jessica Chastain's horror film "The Other Mommy", which led the North American chart with an estimated $27.5m.
