Digger bombs with $8M opening as Verity takes No. 1
Tom Cruise's Digger has opened to only $8 million in North America.
Warner Bros. reported the figure as a studio estimate from 3,321 theatres for the weekend ending 4 October 2026, with rival studios telling Variety they expect it to fall closer to $7.5 million when actuals are finalised on Monday.
That puts the film fifth in the domestic chart, domestic meaning the United States and Canada. It trails newcomer Verity and three holdovers including Resident Evil and Heart of the Beast, Variety reported.
Verity, a psychological thriller starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, took $33 million to rank No. 1 domestically, Deadline reported. The film is based on a hit book by Colleen Hoover.
Digger is an R-rated satire directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. Cruise plays a powerful oil tycoon bracing for an ecological disaster.
The start is well below expectations. Warner Bros. had expected an $18 million to $20 million opening, Variety reported, after early projections had pointed to $12 million. Box-office experts cited by Variety had said the film needed a debut near $40 million to justify its budget.
The warning signs came early. Digger made $1.2 million in previews, against $4.5 million for Verity, then took $3.4 million on opening day while Verity made $15.1 million on Friday to rank No. 1. Deadline reported the $8 million start was Cruise's lowest opening in 19 years. Both Digger and Verity earned a C+ CinemaScore, an exit poll of opening-night audiences.
The costs are large. Variety reported a production budget of $160 million to $180 million. Warner Bros. had originally greenlit the film for $125 million before costs rose during a long production. The studio spent a further $100 million on global marketing.
Overseas did not close the gap. Warner Bros. reported $12 million from 73 international markets, for a $20 million global opening. Executives told Variety the theatrical break-even point is roughly $350 million globally, while a Warner Bros. spokesperson put it at $300 million. The same report puts the projected theatrical loss at $150 million to $200 million.
Cruise has a first-dollar gross deal on the film, a cut of ticket money paid before the studio recovers costs, Variety reported.
The release arrives at a moment of change for the studio. Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros. is set to close on 6 Oct., Variety reported. Warner Bros. co-chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy are leaving the studio when it closes.
What makes this stand out for regular cinemagoers is the maths. A $20 million global start leaves a long road to $300 million, let alone $350 million. Monday's finalised North American actuals will set the next marker.
