Tom Cruise’s Digger Bombs With $20 Million Global Opening Box Office Debut

DIGGER is officially in theaters and I am so honored to have had the opportunity to create this film alongside such talented artists, Tom Cruise said in an X/Twitter post on October 3, 2026. The dark comedy directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu opened globally with an estimated $20 million during its October 2, 2026, weekend debut, falling far short of its production budget and trailing behind competing releases, according to box office reports.

Alejandro González Iñárritu Directs Tom Cruise in an Oil Tycoon Satire

Released in North America on October 2, 2026, by Warner Bros., Digger stars an unrecognizable Tom Cruise under heavy makeup as a powerful oil tycoon facing an environmental catastrophe. The film also features Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Emma D’Arcy, and Jesse Plemons. IGN reported that the film earned a 6/10 rating, with a critic favorability score of 51% on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences remained divided.

Warner Bros Faces a Steep Financial Climb to Break Even

Digger accumulated just $8 million domestically and $12 million internationally for its $20 million global opening weekend,IGN reported. Warner Bros. greenlit the project at $125 million, with four sources placing the final budget between $160 million and $180 million after production ran over schedule. A Warner Bros. spokesperson disputed those figures. Rival executives told Variety that the film needed a $40 million debut to justify its costs, while theatrical break-even points are estimated between $300 million by the studio and $350 million by industry analysts, factoring in an additional $100 million spent on marketing and Cruise’s first-dollar gross agreement.

Verity Claims the Weekend Box Office While Digger Lags Behind

Digger placed fifth at the domestic box office during its opening weekend, according to IGN. Amazon MGM’s adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s Verity took first place globally, earning $32.6 million domestically and $30 million internationally for a $62.6 million worldwide total. Directed by Michael Showalter and starring Dakota Johnson and Anne Hathaway, Verity outperformed Digger despite carrying a much lower $40 million budget. Other domestic box office charts placed Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil in second, the Brad Pitt-led Heart of the Beast in third, and Robert Pattinson’s Primetime in fourth.

Analyst Perspectives on the Tom Cruise Dark Comedy Gamble

Jeff Bock, an analyst at Exhibitor Relations, credited Warner Bros. for taking a chance on Cruise in his first original film since 2017’s American Made. Bock questioned whether audiences will accept Cruise as a transformative character actor rather than an action hero, noting that building word of mouth for a black comedy requires enormous effort. The film received a C+ on CinemaScore and a 47% definite recommend score on PostTrak. Despite the challenging start, Cruise expressed his gratitude to the cast and crew on social media.

Thank you to the entire cast and crew for your dedication, hard work, and joy. The experience was truly unforgettable and I’m so proud of what we created.

Tom Cruise