Tom Cruise's Digger heads for $245m loss after 60% second-weekend drop
Tom Cruise's satire Digger, directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, opened in late September 2026 and fell about 60% in its second North American weekend. Reports cite estimated losses of around $245 million for Warner Bros, its final standalone release before the Paramount merger.
Opening weekend and the slide
Digger, a satirical black comedy directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, in which Tom Cruise plays oil magnate Digger Rockwell, opened in late September 2026. Variety reports that its North American takings were $8 million on the opening weekend. Ticket sales fell about 60% in the second weekend to an estimated $3.2 million. By the time of the 12 October reports, the film had grossed $14.4 million in North America and about $35 million worldwide. Variety projects a final worldwide gross of around $50 million.
- Opening weekend (late September 2026)
- 8 $ million
- Second weekend
- 3.2 $ million
Budget, marketing and breakeven
Variety puts production costs at $160 million to $180 million, above the original $125 million budget, and adds about $100 million for promotion. The BBC reports that Warner Bros spent around $280 million on production and marketing. The breakeven figure is disputed. Variety estimates the film needs about $350 million worldwide, because cinemas keep roughly half of ticket revenue, while a Warner Bros spokesperson told Variety the figure is $300 million. The studio had planned another $15 million for an awards campaign, but that spending is expected to be cut after the box office failure. Estimated losses of $245 million appear across several reports, including estimates the Guardian reported and that Il Messaggero repeated, and analyst projections cited by the BBC.
- Worldwide gross reported 12 October 2026
- 35.3 $ million
- Projected final worldwide gross (Variety)
- 50 $ million
- Breakeven (Warner Bros spokesperson)
- 300 $ million
- Breakeven (Variety estimate)
- 350 $ million
Comparisons and divided reviews
Reports place the film alongside Cutthroat Island (1995), Mortal Engines (2018) and The Marvels (2023) among Hollywood's biggest financial flops. Reviews split sharply. The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw gave it two stars and described a shallow, tiring and self-congratulatory satire, while Sian Cain of Guardian Australia called it a masterpiece, according to Il Messaggero. Warner Bros responded with a campaign inviting audiences to 'decide for yourself'. Defenders named in the coverage include Anne Hathaway, Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuarón, a close friend of Iñárritu, and Jane Fonda. Cruise said last week that he does not make films with their opening-weekend takings in mind, and that he aims to make films that 'hopefully will translate, last and evolve'.
A final release before the Skydance merger
Digger is the last standalone release from Warner Bros before its sale to David Ellison was completed and the studio merges with Paramount into a single company called Skydance. According to 20 minutos, Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, who ran Warner Bros. Pictures until the merger, have left the studio. The Social Reckoning, the Aaron Sorkin-directed sequel to The Social Network, took about $5.5 million in North America on its opening weekend. It finished behind The Other Mommy, starring Jessica Chastain, which topped the North American box office with an estimated $27.5 million. IndieWire notes that Digger was projected to open lower than any Tom Cruise star vehicle in more than 40 years.
