Tom Cruise's latest release Digger has failed to make the strong impact expected from a big-budget Hollywood project. Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, the satirical black comedy earned only $8 million in its opening weekend in North America, falling below the studio's already modest expectations.
With reports placing the production cost anywhere between $125 million and $180 million, the film now faces a difficult road ahead at the box office. Its mixed reviews and weak audience response could make it even harder for the movie to build momentum in the coming weeks.
Digger Box Office Collection: Opening Weekend Numbers
Here are the key figures from Digger's theatrical debut:
- North America Opening: $8 million
- North American Theaters: Around 3,300
- International Collection: $12 million
- Reported Production Budget: $125 million
- Other Reported Budget Estimate: Around $180 million
- Studio Opening Projection: $12-$15 million
- CinemaScore: C+
- Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score: 51%
- Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
- Lead Star: Tom Cruise
The opening indicates that Digger will need a significant improvement in its second and third weekends if it is to recover a substantial portion of its theatrical investment.
Digger Was Once Expected to Open Much Higher
Expectations surrounding Digger were considerably stronger during the early stages of its release campaign. Some tracking projections had suggested that the film could potentially open near $30 million domestically.
However, interest appeared to cool as the release date approached. Warner Bros.' own expectations were reportedly more conservative, with the studio looking at an opening in the $12 million-$15 million range.
Even against that reduced target, the film's $8 million debut represents an underwhelming start.
Why Digger's Opening Is Significant for Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise remains one of Hollywood's biggest movie stars, particularly when it comes to event-driven theatrical releases. His recent success has largely been associated with major action franchises and large-scale productions.
Digger, however, represents a significant departure from that formula.
Cruise plays a bald and heavily built oil businessman whose story becomes intertwined with a natural disaster and the consequences surrounding it. The unconventional character is far removed from the physically demanding action heroes audiences associate with his recent work.
The performance also marks a return to the kind of unusual, character-focused role that Cruise explored earlier in his career.
Mixed Reviews Could Hurt Digger's Box Office Run
The film's theatrical performance has also been affected by a divided reception from critics and audiences.
Digger Reception at a Glance
- CinemaScore: C+
- Rotten Tomatoes Critics: 51%
- Audience Response: Mixed
- Critical Reception: Divided
- Awards Prospects: Facing an uphill battle
A C+ CinemaScore is particularly concerning for a movie carrying such a substantial production budget. Strong audience word-of-mouth is often essential for expensive films to maintain their earnings after opening weekend.
Could Digger Become a Major Warner Bros. Loss?
The biggest concern surrounding Digger is its reported production cost.
If the movie's actual spending is closer to the higher estimates of around $180 million, an $8 million domestic opening puts considerable pressure on its international run and subsequent theatrical performance.
The film will also have to compete for audience attention against other major releases in the coming weeks. Unless it develops stronger word-of-mouth, Digger could struggle to generate the theatrical revenue required to justify its enormous investment.
As a result, the movie is already emerging as a potential major theatrical disappointment for Warner Bros.
Verity Dominates Digger at the Box Office
While Digger struggled to find an audience, Amazon MGM Studios' Verity delivered a much stronger opening.
Verity Box Office Highlights
- Opening Weekend: $32.6 million
- North American Locations: 3,510
- Production Budget: Around $40 million
- Female Audience: 78%
- 25-34 Age Group: 38%
- Director: Michael Showalter
- Cast: Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, Josh Hartnett
Adapted from Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel, Verity attracted a particularly strong female audience and comfortably finished ahead of Digger during the weekend.
Verity Scores Big at the Box Office Despite Poor Reviews
Interestingly, Verity's commercial performance has not been matched by its critical reception.
The movie reportedly holds a 34% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, while its CinemaScore is also C+.
Despite those numbers, the film's $32.6 million opening gives it a strong commercial foundation. Its performance also strengthens the position of Colleen Hoover adaptations as theatrical draws, particularly among younger female audiences.
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Resident Evil Holds Strong in Its Third Weekend
Sony's Resident Evil continued to perform well during its third weekend, adding approximately $12.5 million domestically.
The film's domestic total has now reached around $124.8 million, allowing it to remain near the top of the weekend chart.
- Third Weekend: $12.5 million
- Domestic Total: Approximately $124.8 million
- Director: Zach Cregger
- Lead: Austin Abrams
- Position: Weekend Runner-up
The video game adaptation has shown considerably stronger staying power than several of the weekend's newer releases.
Heart of the Beast and Primetime Continue Their Runs
Paramount's Heart of the Beast also remained competitive during its second weekend, collecting approximately $11 million.
Its domestic total has climbed to roughly $38.3 million.
Meanwhile, A24's Primetime added close to $8 million in its second weekend, bringing its domestic haul to approximately $34 million.
Weekend Box Office Highlights
| Film | Weekend Collection |
|---|---|
| Verity | $32.6M |
| Resident Evil | $12.5M |
| Heart of the Beast | $11M |
| Primetime | $8M |
| Digger | $8M |
Beware Boiúna Opens to a Disappointing Number
Lionsgate's horror release Beware Boiúna also experienced a difficult theatrical debut.
The movie opened in approximately 1,121 North American theaters but earned only around $550,000 during its opening weekend.
The film stars Kiana Madeira and Jessica Rothe and revolves around a terrifying giant snake. However, the low opening indicates limited theatrical interest in the horror title.
Avengers: Endgame Returns to the Top of the Global Box Office
Marvel's Avengers: Endgame has once again claimed the top spot on the global box office chart following its latest re-release.
The 2019 blockbuster had previously overtaken Avatar to become the highest-grossing movie worldwide. However, a subsequent Avatar re-release allowed James Cameron's film to reclaim the record.
Following the release of Avengers: Endgame: Encore, Marvel's superhero epic has once again moved into first place globally.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Crosses $2.5 Billion Worldwide
Tom Holland's Spider-Man: Brand New Day has also reached a remarkable milestone at the global box office.
The film has reportedly collected $2.506 billion worldwide, placing it third on the all-time global box office list.
The broader Spider-Man film franchise has now generated more than $17.5 billion worldwide, further cementing Peter Parker's status as one of cinema's most commercially successful characters.
Two Major Releases Arrive Next Weekend
Attention will now shift toward the next wave of Hollywood releases.
Two upcoming titles expected to attract significant interest are:
- Other Mommy - Jessica Chastain-led horror film
- The Social Reckoning - Aaron Sorkin's upcoming movie
With Digger struggling to meet expectations, the upcoming weekend could provide a clearer picture of the overall health of the current Hollywood box office.
Digger Box Office Verdict
Despite combining the star power of Tom Cruise with acclaimed filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Digger has stumbled out of the gate.
Its $8 million domestic opening is particularly concerning when compared with its reported production cost. The film's mixed reviews and C+ CinemaScore further suggest that it may have difficulty generating strong word-of-mouth.
Unless Digger sees a significant improvement in the coming weeks, the film could ultimately become one of Warner Bros.' major theatrical disappointments of 2026.
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