Melania Adviser Claims Per-Theatre Win Over Tom Cruise's Digger

Marc Beckman, senior adviser to Melania Trump, says her documentary Melania beat Tom Cruise's Digger on a per-theatre basis by about 67%.

Beckman posted the comparison after Digger opened to $8 million in domestic box office, the United States and Canada, from 3,321 theatres, according to Variety. Melania took $7.1 million in its North American debut from 1,778 theatres. The figures were reported on 7 October 2026.

Beckman said Digger played in 1,543 more theatres than Melania but earned less per site. He put Melania at $4,027 per theatre for its opening weekend, against $2,408 per theatre for Digger. He also claimed Melania generated $7.16 million across its opening weekend and $11 million in its first seven days.

Melania finished its run with $16.6 million worldwide, including $16.3 million from domestic earnings, according to Variety. It fell 67% in its second weekend. Amazon paid $40 million to acquire the film and spent a further $35 million on marketing.

Digger carries far higher costs. It is a satirical black comedy directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, made for north of $160 million plus $100 million in marketing costs. It would need about $350 million worldwide to break even in theatres, and is expected to lose Warner Bros. at least $150 million to $200 million theatrically.

Cruise has publicly defended the film after its soft opening. He said he does not make movies just to perform huge on opening weekend, according to Variety. Digger was Warner Bros.' last release before its merger, according to The New York Times.

Melania had opened above box-office expectations in February, according to NPR. Its audience was reported to be largely older white women.

For anyone puzzled by the argument, this is simple division. Per-theatre average is the weekend gross divided by the number of cinemas. A smaller release can post a lower total and still record a higher average.