Despite a renowned actor’s comeback to serious acting, a two-time Academy Award-winning director, and substantial publicity comparable to the moon landing, the film “Digger” appears destined to be one of the most significant box-office failures of the year.
As reported by Variety, the dark comedy “Digger,” directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu and starring Tom Cruise, experienced a budget escalation from the initial $125 million US to $160-180 million US, necessitating a break-even point of around $350 million US when considering marketing expenses. Warner Bros., however, contested this figure, stating their break-even mark is closer to $300 million US.
The film only garnered $1.2 million US in previews and is forecasted by Warner to generate a mere $12-15 million US domestically this weekend, according to the Hollywood Reporter. This underwhelming performance adds to Warner Bros.’s string of recent disappointments, including films like “The Bride!,” “Supergirl,” “The End of Oak Street,” and “Practical Magic 2,” potentially culminating in one of the studio’s most significant flops in years.
“Digger,” a peculiar tale about an oil magnate tasked with rectifying a catastrophe triggered by his drilling activities, was always a risky venture. The R-rated dark comedy chose to forgo traditional film festivals, banking on positive word-of-mouth and star power to draw audiences to theaters.
Directed by Iñárritu, known for his Oscar-winning films “Birdman” and “The Revenant,” the film faced early critical backlash, with some reviewers branding it as Tom Cruise’s worst movie to date. Despite some positive reviews, many critics anticipated that the experimental and unconventional nature of “Digger” would hinder its financial success.
For Warner Bros., the failure of “Digger” poses a challenge following a successful 2025, with their 2026 lineup yielding only moderate results. While some films like “Wuthering Heights,” “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy,” and “Evil Dead Burn” performed decently, no Warner movie has surpassed $100 million US domestically this year.
If “Digger” fails to recuperate its costs, it could join the ranks of other 2026 box-office disasters like “Melania” and “Desert Warrior.” Despite its anticipated poor performance, there is speculation surrounding Tom Cruise’s potential Academy Awards success for his role in the film, and its streaming potential due to Cruise’s strong brand recognition.
The failure of “Digger” coincides with Warner Bros.’ imminent acquisition by Paramount and the departure of key film executives, potentially signaling a shift in the conglomerate’s future artistic endeavors.