Tom Cruise film Digger heads for $245 million loss

Digger, an eco-satire starring Tom Cruise and directed by Alejandro G Iñárritu, is projected to lose approximately $245 million, positioning it among the largest financial disasters in movie history. The film's second weekend domestic revenue dropped 60 percent to $3.2 million from its $8 million opening, bringing its North American gross to $14.4 million and global total to $35.3 million, according to Variety.

Production costs for Digger ballooned to $160 million to $180 million, well above its original $125 million budget, with an additional $100 million spent on marketing and potentially $15 million reserved for awards-season promotion. The film would need to gross around $350 million worldwide to break even, according to Variety's estimates, though Warner Bros stated a $300 million break-even point.

A $245 million loss would rank Digger alongside notorious box office failures including Cutthroat Island, which lost $222 million when adjusted for inflation, Mortal Engines at $224 million adjusted, and The Marvels at $205 million to $250 million adjusted.

Critical reception divided sharply, with reviews ranging from scathing to laudatory. The Guardian's chief film critic Peter Bradshaw called it an exasperatingly shallow, laborious, self-congratulatory satire in a two-star review, while Guardian Australia's deputy culture editor Sian Cain described it as a masterpiece.

Warner Bros attempted to capitalize on the divided opinion through post-release advertising that quoted negative notices, a strategy that proved ineffective. The studio has faced a disappointing 2026 with underperforming releases including Supergirl and The Bride, ahead of its upcoming takeover by Skydance and the departure of co-chairs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy.

The Social Reckoning, an Aaron Sorkin-directed sequel to The Social Network starring Jeremy Strong as Mark Zuckerberg and Mikey Madison as whistleblower Frances Haugen, also underperformed its opening weekend with $5.5 million domestically and $9 million globally. The horror film The Other Mommy led the North American box office with $27.5 million domestically and $45.2 million globally.