Tom Cruise's 'Digger' Projected to Lose $245 Million, Joining Ranks of Major Box Office Flops

Tom Cruise's latest film, tentatively titled 'Digger,' is facing a projected loss of $245 million, marking a significant career setback for the actor and adding it to the list of all-time box office disappointments. The film, directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, grossed a meager $8 million in U.S. cinemas and an additional $12 million internationally during its opening weekend. Industry reports indicate that 'Digger' needs to earn $350 million globally to break even, a target that appears increasingly unattainable.

Warner Bros. initially greenlit the film for $125 million, but production overruns reportedly pushed the budget to an estimated $180 million. The studio's marketing efforts further added approximately $100 million to the total cost.

A History of Box Office Disappointments

'Digger' is not the first major production to fall short of financial expectations. In 2012, Disney's science fiction film 'John Carter,' based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' 1912 novel 'A Princess of Mars,' incurred an estimated loss of $200 million. With a production budget of $250 million and an additional $100 million spent on marketing, the film only garnered about $184 million worldwide.

In 2023, Marvel faced criticism after promoting 'The Marvels' as the "#1 movie in the world" despite its opening weekend box office earnings of only $47 million, the lowest for an MCU film at the time. This starkly contrasted with 'Avengers: Endgame,' which earned $357 million in its opening weekend.

More recently, in June, 'Supergirl' also proved to be a box office disappointment, failing to meet expectations despite a $170 million production cost. The film earned $38 million in the U.S. and Canada and $30 million overseas, underperforming compared to other recent DC releases like 'The Flash' and 'The Green Lantern.'

Cult Classics and Recent Flops

The original 'Practical Magic,' released in 1996, was also a box office flop, grossing between $68 million and $94 million against a $60-75 million budget. Despite negative reviews, it later found a cult following, leading to a sequel released this year which also struggled commercially with a $30 million domestic opening and $46 million worldwide on a $75 million budget.

Another high-profile film, 'The Lone Ranger' (2013), starring Johnny Depp, was estimated to have lost $190 million. With a production budget between $225 million and $250 million, plus $150 million for marketing, it grossed $89.3 million domestically and $171.2 million internationally.

Sydney Sweeney's recent films have also faced box office challenges. Her survival thriller 'Eden' (2025), with a $50 million budget, earned just $1 million on its opening weekend. Her other film, 'Americana,' made only $500,000 in its opening weekend against a $9 million budget.

Older films also feature on the list of major financial failures. 'The 13th Warrior' (1999) had estimated studio losses of around $129 million, with a budget ranging from $90 million to $160 million including marketing. Similarly, 'Cutthroat Island' (1996) cost between $98 million and $115 million to produce but grossed only $10 million to $16 million worldwide.

More recent examples include 'Madame Web' (2024), which earned $15.1 million on its opening weekend and a total of $51.5 million worldwide against an $80 million budget. Pixar's 'Lightyear' (2022), despite a $200 million budget, grossed $226.4 million, likely resulting in a loss when marketing costs are considered. The biographical film 'Ali' (2001), starring Will Smith, had a budget of $107-118 million but grossed approximately $87.7 million worldwide, cited as a major loss by Columbia Pictures and Sony.