Digger, the ambitious eco-fable starring Tom Cruise and directed by Alejandro G Iñárritu, is heading for an even worse financial outcome than previously thought, with reports suggesting it will lose around $245 million (£185 million), placing it among the biggest disasters in cinema history.
According to a report from Variety, Digger’s estimated second weekend earnings in North America of $3.2 million represent a 60% drop from its opening weekend figure of $8 million, meaning its current domestic gross is $14.4 million, for a worldwide total of $35.3 million, with an expected final box office total of around $50 million worldwide.
Although precise figures are not available, Variety estimates that Digger’s production costs were $160-180 million (well above the original budget of $125 million), with an additional $100 million spent on marketing the film. An additional $15 million was potentially available for awards season marketing, but that amount will likely be reduced after the film’s failure. Since theaters keep about half of the revenue from ticket sales, Variety estimates the film would need to gross around $350 million to cover costs. (A spokesperson for Digger’s production studio, Warner Bros., says the break-even point is $300 million, suggesting production expenses of $150 million.)
A loss of $245 million would put Digger on par with such legendary turkeys as Cutthroat Island ($222 million loss, adjusted for inflation), Mortal Engines ($224 million adjusted) and The Marvels ($205-250 million adjusted).
Reactions to the film likely played a key role in its underperformance, with critical opinions sharply divided. In the Guardian, chief film critic Peter Bradshaw called it “an infuriatingly shallow, labored and self-congratulatory satire” in a two-star review, while Guardian Australia deputy culture editor Sian Cain took the opposite position, describing it as “a masterpiece”. Warner Bros., whose last release before its acquisition by David Ellison’s Skydance, attempted to play into the controversy with a post-release ad campaign citing its negative reviews, but this appears to have had little effect.
2026 has been a disappointing year so far for Warner Bros. as it prepares for new ownership, with underperforming releases such as Supergirl and The Bride! and co-presidents Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy must leave before the buyout. This contrasts with a successful 2025, in which releases such as A Minecraft Movie, Sinners and F1 propelled it to the second most successful studio, behind Disney.
Elsewhere, The Social Reckoning, directed by Aaron Sorkin, also failed to meet expectations in its opening weekend, earning an estimated $5.5 million at the North American box office and $9 million worldwide. The sequel to The Social Network, which stars Jeremy Strong as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Mikey Madison as whistleblower Frances Haugen, was soundly beaten by Jessica Chastain’s horror The Other Mommy, which topped the North American box office with an estimated $27.5 million, as part of a worldwide gross of $45.2 million.
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