Tom Cruise’s latest cinematic outing, Digger, is projected to result in a financial loss of approximately $245 million (£185 million), according to industry analysts. The satirical black comedy, in which Cruise portrays oil magnate Digger Rockwell, saw ticket sales plunge by about 60% during its second weekend in theaters. This downturn leaves the film with total global box office earnings of only $35 million (£26 million). The film’s box office takings relative to its budget mean it could become one of the biggest film flops in Hollywood history.
Warner Bros, the studio responsible for the production, reportedly invested around $280 million (£211 million) into the film’s creation and marketing. Projections from the trade publication Variety suggest the movie will conclude its theatrical run with roughly $50 million (£38 million) worldwide. While analysts argue that the film requires $350 million (£264 million) to break even—factoring in exhibition costs and awards season marketing—a spokesperson for Warner Bros contends the break-even threshold is closer to $300 million (£227 million). However, a Warner Bros spokesman pushed back slightly on the figure, telling Variety the film’s break even point was $300m (£227m).
Addressing the business side of his craft, Cruise stated last week that he does not view films through the lens of opening weekend performance, emphasizing his desire to create works that endure and evolve over time. Nonetheless, Digger is currently trending toward the same category of major Hollywood financial failures as past titles like 1995’s Cutthroat Island, 2005’s Sahara, and 2012’s John Carter, as well as others such as The Marvels and Speed Racer. According to but Cruise, Last week, external that he “never thought of movies when I’m making them [in terms of] opening weekend,” adding he was instead focused on making films that “hopefully will translate, last and evolve”. Including 1995’s Cutthroat Island, 2002’s The Adventures of Pluto Nash, 2005’s Sahara and 2012’s John Carter, that would put Digger in the same bracket as other films which lost upwards of $100m.
The film’s commercial struggle is particularly notable given the success of recent major franchise entries starring Cruise, such as the latest installments of Top Gun and Mission: Impossible. Directed by Alejandro G Iñárritu, known for films including The Revenant and Birdman, Digger received generally unfavorable reviews from critics. In response, Warner Bros initiated a marketing push encouraging audiences to form their own opinions.
Digger served as the final standalone release from the studio prior to its acquisition by Paramount. This period of box office disappointment extends to other recent releases, most notably Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Reckoning. The film, which features Mikey Madison, Jeremy Strong, and Jeremy Allen White, brought in only $5.5 million (£4.1 million) in the United States on its opening weekend—a sharp decline compared to the $22 million (£16 million) grossed by its 2010 predecessor.
Globally, The Social Reckoning, which chronicles the true story of Facebook engineer Frances Haugan and her decision to leak internal documents, earned around $9 million (£6.8 million). The film failed to gain traction, finishing behind several titles in the US market, including the horror entry Other Mommy, the thriller Verity, and the latest Brad Pitt feature, Heart of the Beast.
