Tom Cruise’s latest film, Digger, is on course to lose an estimated $245 million (£185 million), according to Hollywood analysts, as the satirical black comedy continues to struggle at the box office.
The film, which features Cruise as oil tycoon Digger Rockwell, saw ticket sales decline by approximately 60% during its second weekend in cinemas. Its worldwide box office collection currently stands at around $35 million (£26 million), against an estimated production and marketing budget of $280 million (£211 million) for Warner Bros.
Despite the disappointing numbers, Cruise said last week that box office openings were never his primary consideration while making films. Instead, he said he focused on creating movies that could resonate with audiences over time and continue to evolve.
With its earnings falling significantly short of expectations, Digger could rank among Hollywood’s biggest commercial failures. It joins a long list of high-budget productions that have reportedly incurred losses exceeding $100 million, including Cutthroat Island (1995), The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002), Sahara (2005) and John Carter (2012). Other films associated with substantial financial losses include Mars Needs Moms (2011), The 13th Warrior (1999), Speed Racer (2008), Amsterdam (2022) and The Marvels (2023).
According to reports, Digger is projected to finish its theatrical run with approximately $50 million (£38 million) in worldwide ticket sales. The publication estimated that the film would need to generate around $350 million (£264 million) to break even, factoring in production expenses, marketing, cinema revenue shares and a potential awards-season campaign. A Warner Bros spokesperson, however, disputed that estimate, telling Variety that the film’s break-even threshold was closer to $300 million (£227 million).
Digger was Warner Bros’ final standalone release before the studio’s recent takeover by Paramount. Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, whose previous films include Birdman, Babel and The Revenant, the movie received largely unfavourable reviews. Warner Bros subsequently launched a fresh marketing campaign encouraging audiences to watch the film and “decide for yourself”.
Meanwhile, The Social Reckoning has also struggled to match its predecessor’s opening performance. The latest film from Aaron Sorkin collected $5.5 million (£4.1 million) in the US, well below the $22 million (£16 million) earned by its predecessor during its opening weekend in 2010, without adjusting for inflation. Its worldwide box office total stood at approximately $9 million (£6.8 million).
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