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 movie “Digger” appears destined to rank among the most significant box-office failures this year.
Reportedly, the dark comedy helmed by director Alejandro G. Iñárritu and featuring Tom Cruise experienced a surge in costs from an initial budget of $125 million to $160-180 million, leading to a break-even threshold of around $350 million when factoring in marketing expenses (though Warner Bros. disputes this, stating their break-even point is closer to $300 million). Early previews generated a mere $1.2 million in revenue.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Warner foresees the film only grossing $12-15 million domestically during its opening weekend, marking a disappointing start for the studio amidst a year filled with underperforming releases. Warner Bros. has had a streak of unsuccessful films such as “The Bride!,” “Supergirl,” “The End of Oak Street,” and “Practical Magic 2,” possibly culminating in one of their most significant flops in recent years.
“Digger,” a peculiar tale about an oil magnate tasked with averting a disaster caused by his drilling activities, always carried inherent risks. The R-rated black comedy opted to bypass the festival circuit, relying on positive word-of-mouth and star power to entice audiences to theaters.
The decision to eschew early critical reviews and target Cruise enthusiasts directly seemed logical, as it marked the actor’s first non-franchise film since the 2017 Barry Seal biopic “American Made.”
Directed by Iñárritu, known for his award-winning films “Birdman” and “The Revenant,” “Digger” faced early critical backlash that could jeopardize its prospects. Some critics have labeled it as “the worst movie in Tom Cruise’s career,” “a metafictional quagmire,” and “a ponderous white elephant of a film.” Responding to negative critiques, the film’s producers released an advertisement featuring Cruise’s character berating critics.
Despite some positive reviews, many critics, including this writer, predicted that “Digger” might be too avant-garde and unconventional to recoup its substantial budget. Warner Bros. faces a challenging situation following a successful 2025, with their 2026 lineup yielding only modest achievements. While some films like “Wuthering Heights,” “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy,” and “Evil Dead Burn” performed decently, none of Warner’s movies have surpassed $100 million domestically this year.
In a worst-case scenario, the failure of “Digger” could categorize it among 2026’s other major flops like “Melania” and “Desert Warrior.” Despite the anticipated poor performance, there is speculation on whether Cruise could still achieve success at the Academy Awards, and the film might find an audience on streaming platforms.
The disappointment with “Digger” coincides with Warner Bros.’ impending acquisition by Paramount and reports suggesting that key film executives Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy may not continue with the company post-merger. The movie’s bold thematic choices and dismal box office reception could raise concerns about the conglomerate’s future artistic decisions.
