Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s ‘Digger’ Starring Tom Cruise Faces Historic Box Office Disaster

Starring Tom Cruise, the new satirical film Digger is on track to become one of the most significant box office failures in Hollywood history, earning a disappointing $8 million over its opening weekend.

Co-written and directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu, known for Birdman and The Revenant, the satirical black comedy follows oil tycoon Digger Rockwell, played by Cruise, as he attempts to mitigate an environmental crisis of his own making that threatens thousands of lives.

Following highly critical reviews from critics, the film was released in theaters on Friday, October 2, and quickly struggled at the box office. According to Variety, the movie grossed only $8 million from 3,321 North American locations during its opening weekend. Given its massive production budget, estimated between $160 million and $180 million, the film is poised to go down as one of the costliest box office failures in history.

Poor critical reception prompted Warner Bros. to adjust their expectations, as the studio had originally hoped for a minimum of $20 million in its opening weekend. Although a now-deleted promotional tweet suggested that only domestic audiences were unfavorable to the film, international figures tell a similar story. The movie reportedly earned just $12 million across 73 international markets.

“For a black comedy, these numbers aren’t terrible. But black comedies are typically smaller, more intimate films, and this is not a small film—it is a major Tom Cruise movie,” box office analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Re told Variety. “The comedic balance is delicate, and when it fails to land, the misstep is quite pronounced.”

In response to the polarizing reception, Cruise defended the project during a screening Q&A, reflecting on his lifelong career: “I have been very successful since I was a child. Okay, the door is open. Now I want to push it again.”

“This film is handmade. People want to see authentic, real things,” the actor continued, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. “People crave genuine experiences. My hope has always been that the films perform well enough to grant me the opportunity to continue making them.”

In a two-star review for NME, Lou Thomas noted that the collaboration between Iñárritu and Cruise is visually striking, yet ultimately messy: “True to form with Iñárritu’s work, the resulting collaboration is a visually striking piece of cinema. Unfortunately, it’s also a rather messy one. Digger—while not irredeemably awful—is ultimately a big disappointment.”

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