Tom Cruise’s Digger Bombs Hard With $20 Million Global Opening in Theaters
Tom Cruise’s latest film, Digger, experienced a disappointing opening weekend at the global box office, earning an estimated $20 million worldwide—$8 million domestically and $12 million internationally. This marks Cruise’s weakest opening in nearly two decades, with domestic performance only slightly exceeding 2007’s Lions for Lambs, which earned $6.7 million.
The dark comedy, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, features an unrecognizable Cruise under heavy makeup in the role of an oil tycoon facing an environmental catastrophe. The film’s lackluster reception is particularly concerning given its substantial $160 million production budget, with marketing costs potentially pushing the total investment significantly higher. The movie faces a steep climb toward profitability and finished only as the fifth highest-grossing film of its opening weekend.
The weak performance stands in stark contrast to Cruise’s recent successes, notably Top Gun: Maverick (2022), and represents a significant setback for Warner Bros., which was reportedly hoping the star would deliver his typical box-office boost. The result underscores the unpredictability of the current theatrical market, where even established A-list talent and prestigious filmmakers cannot guarantee commercial success.