Tom Cruise's 'Digger' Faces Dismal Opening Weekend Amid Harsh Reviews
The highly anticipated film is projected to earn between $8 million and $12 million, a significant shortfall from earlier estimates, and faces a studio merger.
Alejandro González Iñárritu's new film "Digger," starring Tom Cruise in an unrecognizable role, is tracking for a disappointing opening weekend, with projections as low as $8 million to $12 million. This figure represents a dramatic decrease from earlier estimates, which had placed the film's opening weekend box office between $30 million and $20 million.
Reviewers have largely panned the apocalyptic satire, with many critics removing it from their Oscar prediction lists. The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney described the film as "so meta that you watch in excruciating weariness as it disappears up its own ass." The New York Post's Johnny Oleksinski awarded the film zero stars, a rare distinction, and The Boston Globe also gave it a zero, calling it "the worst movie of Tom Cruise’s career."
Despite a reported 53% score on Rotten Tomatoes, which may be influenced by social media influencers rather than professional critics, the film's reception has been overwhelmingly negative. Industry observers have drawn parallels to past box office bombs like "Ishtar" and "Waterworld" due to the film's substantial budget, estimated at $135 million or more, and its low box office tracking.
In an effort to combat the negative press, Warner Bros. has released a promotional video on X with the tagline, "Decide for yourself." The ad features a quote from a TikTok influencer and cuts to Cruise's character exclaiming, "You know what? F--k those people!"
Sources indicate that the film's narrative, including a third-act twist and two undisclosed co-starring characters, has made marketing difficult. Theories that the movie might be a musical were also circulated online before being debunked.
Boxoffice Pro analyst Daniel Loria projects "Digger" to potentially open at a "modest" No. 5 at the box office, earning $8 million to $12 million. This performance is expected to be more in line with a specialty release than a major blockbuster, similar to Iñárritu's $18 million "Birdman," which won a Best Picture Oscar in 2015.
This impending box office disappointment comes at a critical juncture for Warner Bros. The film is expected to be one of the last releases from the studio before its merger with Paramount. The budget for "Digger" was reportedly approved by Warner Bros. film heads Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, and sanctioned by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav.
An alternate poster for the film, created by artist Ed Ruscha, features an iceberg with the text, "A man. A plan. A meltdown," a sentiment that appears to reflect the film's current trajectory and its significance for the studio. The film's star, Tom Cruise, has a long-standing professional relationship with Warner Bros. and its executives, making the potential financial losses particularly notable.