Despite the return of a prominent actor to serious acting, a two-time Academy Award-winning director, and significant publicity equivalent to historical events like the moon landing, the film “Digger” appears to be heading towards becoming one of the most significant box-office failures of the year.
As reported by Variety, the dark comedy film directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu and featuring Tom Cruise experienced a surge in production costs from an initial budget of $125 million US to a range of $160-180 million US. This increase necessitates a break-even point of around $350 million US when factoring in marketing expenses. Warner Bros. disputed this figure, stating to Variety that their actual break-even threshold is approximately $300 million US.
The movie only garnered $1.2 million US in preview screenings. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Warner anticipates a meager domestic weekend box office of $12-15 million US, marking a disappointing debut for the studio in a year already filled with underperforming releases. Following a streak of unsuccessful films like “The Bride!”, “Supergirl”, “The End of Oak Street”, and “Practical Magic 2”, Warner Bros. may face one of its most substantial financial flops of the decade.
“Digger,” a peculiar narrative revolving around an oil magnate assigned to rectify a calamity caused by his drilling operations, was always a risky venture. The R-rated black comedy chose to forgo the traditional festival circuit, banking on positive word-of-mouth and the star power of Tom Cruise to draw audiences away from their screens and into cinemas.
The decision to bypass early critical reviews and appeal directly to Cruise enthusiasts seemed logical, marking the actor’s first non-franchise film since the 2017 Barry Seal biopic, “American Made.”
Directed by Iñárritu, known for his acclaimed works “Birdman” and “The Revenant,” which captured prestigious accolades at the Oscars, “Digger” faced a wave of unfavorable critiques upon its initial screenings last month, jeopardizing its prospects.
Described as “the worst film in Tom Cruise’s career” by the Boston Globe, “a metafictional maze” by RogerEbert.com, and “a ponderous, unwieldy film that almost elicits sympathy for everyone involved” by the New York Times, the movie’s producers responded to the negative feedback with an advertisement showcasing Cruise’s character rebuking critics.
Even reviewers who praised the film, such as the writer from CBC, foresaw that “Digger” was too avant-garde and unconventional to recoup its production costs. This places Warner Bros. in a precarious position following a successful 2025 with acclaimed releases like “Sinners”, “Weapons”, and “One Battle After Another”, as their 2026 lineup has yielded only modest achievements.
In a worst-case scenario, “Digger” could join the ranks of other major flops of 2026, including “Melania” and “Desert Warrior.” Despite potentially dismal box office results, the film may still hold value for Warner Bros., with speculations on Tom Cruise’s Oscar prospects and the likelihood of success in the streaming realm due to his strong brand recognition.
However, the failure of “Digger” coincides with Warner Bros.’ impending acquisition by Paramount and the reported departure of Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, key figures in the company’s film division, post-merger. The film’s bold thematic choices, coupled with its poor financial performance, may signal concerns regarding the artistic direction of the newly-formed conglomerate.
