Tom Cruise’s ‘Digger’ Records His Lowest Domestic Opening in 19 Years

Hollywood star Tom Cruise’s ‘Digger’ has stumbled badly at the North American box office, earning an estimated USD 8 million during its opening weekend and finishing in fifth place. The result marks Cruise’s lowest domestic opening in 19 years, since 2007’s Lions for Lambs, which debuted with USD 6.7 million.

Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, the satirical black comedy was released across 3,321 North American theatres. It collected about USD 1.2 million from Thursday previews, followed by USD 3.4 million on Friday, USD 2.6 million on Saturday and an estimated USD 2 million on Sunday. International markets contributed around USD 12 million, taking its worldwide opening to approximately USD 20 million.

The disappointing start is particularly significant given the film’s reported production cost. While some reports put the budget at around USD 125 million, other estimates place it between USD 160 million and USD 180 million, making a theatrical recovery increasingly difficult. Deadline has estimated that the film could eventually result in losses of around USD 150 million.

‘Digger’ sees Cruise in an unusual role as Digger Rockwell, a wealthy oil tycoon, with the actor appearing heavier and balding through extensive prosthetic makeup. The story centres on an impending environmental disaster linked to the character’s oil operations. The film represents a major departure from the action-driven roles that have defined much of Cruise’s recent career.

The film’s reception has also been mixed, with reports citing a C+ CinemaScore and a 51 per cent critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes. Meanwhile, ‘Verity’, starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, dominated the weekend with USD 32.6 million domestically and about USD 62.6 million worldwide.

The result comes just before Paramount Skydance’s proposed USD 111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, expected to close on October 6, adding further significance to ‘Digger’ as one of Warner Bros.’ final releases before the merger.