Despite the anticipation surrounding a renowned actor’s venture into serious acting, a two-time Academy Award-winning director, and extensive media coverage comparable to historic events like the moon landing, the film “Digger” appears destined to be one of the most significant financial disappointments at the box office this year.
According to reports from Variety, the black comedy film directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu and featuring Tom Cruise underwent budget overruns, escalating from an initial $125 million US budget to a range of $160-180 million US. This increase raised the break-even point to approximately $350 million US, factoring in promotional expenses. Warner Bros. disputed this claim, asserting to Variety that their actual break-even threshold is closer to $300 million US.
Despite earning only $1.2 million US in preview screenings, industry insights from the Hollywood Reporter indicate that Warner foresees a mere $12-15 million US in domestic box office revenue for the opening weekend. This performance would mark a disappointing start for the studio, especially amidst a year plagued by underperforming releases like “The Bride!”, “Supergirl,” “The End of Oak Street,” and “Practical Magic 2.”
“Digger,” a peculiar tale revolving around an oil magnate tasked with rectifying a global disaster triggered by his own drilling activities, always carried inherent risks. Opting out of the traditional festival circuit, this R-rated dark comedy pinned its hopes on positive word-of-mouth and the star power of Tom Cruise to lure audiences away from home entertainment to cinemas.
The film’s strategy of bypassing initial critical reviews and directly targeting Cruise enthusiasts seemed logical, considering it marks the actor’s first non-franchise project since the 2017 Barry Seal biopic, “American Made.”
Despite being helmed by Iñárritu, celebrated for his prior works like “Birdman” and “The Revenant,” which garnered critical acclaim and prestigious awards, “Digger” faced early backlash from critics upon its recent releases. A slew of negative reviews termed it as “Tom Cruise’s worst film” by the Boston Globe, “a tangled metafictional narrative” by RogerEbert.com, and “a cumbersome, unwieldy cinematic endeavor” by the New York Times. Responding to the criticism, the film’s producers launched an advertisement showcasing Cruise’s character berating critics.
Even critics extolling the film’s virtues, such as one from CBC, predicted that “Digger” might be too unconventional and eccentric to recoup its substantial production costs. This scenario places Warner Bros. in a precarious position, especially after a successful 2025 slate that included hits like “Sinners,” “Weapons,” and “One Battle After Another.”
In a worst-case scenario, “Digger” could join the ranks of 2026’s other major box office failures like “Melania” and “Desert Warrior,” which struggled to recoup their budgets. Nonetheless, there remains speculation on the film’s potential value, including the possibility of Cruise making an awards season impact and its appeal to audiences through streaming platforms.
However, the disappointing performance of “Digger” holds crucial significance as Warner Bros. nears its acquisition by Paramount. This setback coincides with reports indicating that key figures within Warner, including Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, may not continue with the company post-merger. The film’s bold thematic choices and subsequent financial letdown could shape the future artistic decisions of the merged conglomerate.