Tom Cruise's Digger opens to $8 million in North America
Tom Cruise's new film Digger earned $8 million in North America in its opening weekend, with $20 million worldwide, according to figures reported by Variety.
That start, from the film's release on 2 October 2026, fell below earlier projections of $12 million to $15 million in North America. Box office experts cited by Variety suggest a film of this size would have needed a $40 million domestic debut — domestic means the United States and Canada — to justify its price tag.
The costs behind it are large. Digger carried a production budget of $160 million to $180 million, with Warner Bros. spending a further $100 million on marketing, Variety reported. Executives with knowledge of similar films put the theatrical break-even point at roughly $350 million globally, while a Warner Bros. spokesperson put it at $300 million. On current ticket sales, the film is primed to lose at least $150 million to $200 million in theatres.
Digger did not open in a quiet weekend. Verity took No. 1 at the box office with $33 million in North America, just under its $35 million projection, according to Deadline and Variety. That left Digger well behind the market leader in its first three days.
The film itself is an R-rated environmental satire about an oil tycoon who sparks a potential global disaster. It was directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, runs 2 hours 9 minutes, and is listed as a comedy drama. Riz Ahmed, John Goodman and Sandra Hüller co-star alongside Cruise as the most powerful man in the world on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity's saviour.
Audience and press response was muted. Digger holds a 51% score on Rotten Tomatoes, the share of approved critics giving a positive review, and a C+ grade on CinemaScore, a survey of opening-night cinemagoers. The $8 million opening is Cruise's lowest in 19 years, Deadline reported. Verity also earned a C+ CinemaScore.
Cruise publicly defended the film as the numbers came in. "I'm So Proud of What We Created," he said, in comments reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
What makes this stand out is the scale of the spend realised against such a small opening. Digger is also Warner Bros.' last standalone release before merging with Paramount, which adds industry attention to an already costly result.
