Despite a star-studded cast led by Tom Cruise and the directorial vision of Academy Award-winner Alejandro González Iñárritu, "Digger" has become a cautionary tale for big-budget original films. After opening to a modest $8 million domestically and $20 million globally, the film saw a dramatic 60% drop in its second weekend, bringing its cumulative totals to just $14.4 million in North America and $35.3 million worldwide.
Industry sources, as reported by Popcorn Wire, estimate the film will conclude its theatrical run with a global gross of roughly $50 million. This figure pales in comparison to the movie's substantial costs. Warner Bros. greenlit the project for $125 million, but production overruns pushed the budget to an estimated $160-$180 million. An additional $100 million was reportedly spent on global marketing efforts, bringing the total investment to between $260 million and $280 million.
For a film to break even, it typically needs to earn roughly 2.5 times its production and marketing budget, as theater owners retain about half of ticket sales. This places "Digger's" break-even point at approximately $350 million, though a Warner Bros. spokesperson previously suggested a slightly lower figure of $300 million. Regardless, the projected $50 million global haul means the studio is bracing for a colossal $245 million loss, not including potential awards campaign spending, which for a film of this caliber could run an additional $15 million.
"Digger," an offbeat dark comedy featuring Cruise as a wealthy oil tycoon whose company triggers an ecological disaster, was always considered a risky proposition. Its R-rating and original concept in a landscape dominated by established franchises made it a challenging sell. The film's poor critical reception further compounded its woes, leading Warner Bros. to run unusual social media ads encouraging moviegoers to "decide for yourself" rather than rely on reviews.
Even a rallying cry from Hollywood luminaries like Anne Hathaway, Jane Fonda, Guillermo del Toro, and Mandy Patinkin, who publicly defended "Digger" and urged audiences to see it, couldn't stem the tide of declining ticket sales. The film's struggles also highlight a challenging year for Warner Bros., which has seen other commercial misfires like "The Bride" and "Supergirl." The departure of co-chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, who had a successful 2025 with hits like "Sinners" and "A Minecraft Movie," coincided with "Digger's" release, underscoring the studio's current theatrical difficulties.
While box office performance significantly impacts a film's profitability and dictates future downstream deals for TV and streaming, "Digger's" path to recouping costs will be particularly long. Tom Cruise's deal, which allows him to earn a percentage of revenues before the studio recovers its expenses, further complicates the financial outlook. Warner Bros. hopes to turn its fortunes around later this year with the highly anticipated release of Denis Villeneuve’s "Dune: Part III."