Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Digger made $1.2 million in Thursday previews, then opened to roughly $8 million domestically with a C+ CinemaScore (the same grade Verity received). The Colleen Hoover adaptation Verity, starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, arrived on the same weekend and quadrupled the opening numbers, taking in a cool $32.6 million. Hathaway, who also plays Penelope in The Odyssey, is set to co-star with Cruise in Days of Thunder 2, which begins shooting in March. It is Cruise’s lowest opening in 19 years, since Lions for Lambs ($6.7 million in 2007), and Digger added only $12 million internationally for a global start of about $20 million.
And it gets worse. The budget for Digger was reportedly $160-$180 million (the official figure is $125 million), with another $100 million spent on marketing. Break-even is around $350 million worldwide (Warner Bros. disputes this and puts it at $300 million), which simply isn’t going to be possible. At this stage, it’s projected to lose at least $150 million theatrically.
RELATED: The Digger Trailer Is Finally Here — And Tom Cruise Has Never Looked Weirder
The Part That Hurts the Most: Tom Cruise Championed Barbie, Oppenheimer and The Odyssey
A recent r/Letterboxd post on Reddit showed a collection of photos of Tom Cruise going to watch other people’s films, including Tenet, Barbie, Oppenheimer, Sinners, The Odyssey, and Disclosure Day. It’s clear that Cruise’s passion for movies extends beyond just starring in them.
The Hollywood heavyweight’s Instagram page is filled with messages of support and congratulations for his fellow actors. For example, this is what he had to say about Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey in one of his captions: “Thank you for an amazing night in a movie theater.”
Who Showed Up for Digger? Jessica Alba, Sofia Boutella and Guillermo del Toro
Despite the disappointing ticket sales, Cruise still has plenty of supporters within the industry. According to Comic Basics, both Jessica Alba and Sofia Boutella showed up at the Los Angeles Digger premiere. Director Guillermo del Toro also called the film “daring, bold and cinematically complex” on X, comparing its reception to that of The Big Lebowski and The King of Comedy. Cruise thanked the cast and crew on X, saying he is proud of what they created.
Digger Reviews: An Eccentric Eco-Satire That Has Audiences Divided
To be fair, Digger was always a bit of a gamble. It’s an unusual R-rated comedy, and critics are split, with Rotten Tomatoes around 52 percent (the audience Popcornmeter is at 71 percent). The marketing even leaned into the divide by sharing reviews ranging from “masterpiece” to “insufferable.”
Defenders call it misunderstood, a Babylon 2.0 that will be reappraised. And perhaps it will be. After all, plenty of great films were ignored on opening weekend.
Digger is playing in theaters only, including IMAX and Dolby screens. Warner Bros. hasn’t announced a digital or streaming date yet. But based on the studio’s recent release pattern, expect digital rental around November (or maybe even sooner if things don’t pick up) and HBO Max in December or January.
