Tom Cruise's 'Digger' Just Posted His Lowest Opening In 19 Years — And The Numbers Are BRUTAL

Tom Cruise has outrun missiles, motorbiked off cliffs and hung off planes. What he couldn't outrun? a $8 million opening weekend. Yes, really.

According to Deadline, Digger has handed Cruise his lowest opening in 19 years. We are NOT okay.

The Numbers (Brace Yourself)

Digger, the R-rated satire from director Alejandro González Iñárritu, debuted with about $8 million domestically and roughly $20 million worldwide, plus a C+ CinemaScore, per Deadline. Variety says it landed in fifth place behind a newcomer and three holdovers.

Warner Bros. reportedly hoped for $18-20 million domestically, and even that would have been rough. Variety reports analysts say a film this size needed a debut near $40 million to justify its price tag.

The Price Tag Is The Plot Twist

Deadline puts the net cost at around $160 million, with a near-$100 million global marketing spend on top. Variety says the budget was $160-180 million after production ran long, and notes the studio originally greenlit it at $125 million.

Break-even? Variety says executives estimate about $350 million worldwide, though a Warner Bros. spokesperson pushed back and said $300 million. Either way, both outlets say it's headed for a loss of roughly $150 million or more.

Deadline adds that even a $50 million global finish would be lucky. Ouch.

"Decide For Yourself"

Here's where it gets awkward. After critics called the film "unpleasant" and "baffling," per Variety, Warner Bros. leaned into the bad press with an ad telling moviegoers to "decide for yourself."

Another spot reportedly suggested only American audiences disliked it. The international box office had other ideas: about $12 million from 73 markets.

Cruise did the full press tour too, including a GQ cover, a New Heights podcast stop and a Jennifer Hudson Show appearance, according to Variety. Didn't matter.

The Timing Is... Something

Deadline calls the timing "Shakespearean." The flop lands as Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros. is set to close, and news broke Friday that Warner co-chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy are leaving when the merger closes on Oct. 6, per Variety.

Deadline also reports De Luca and Abdy once told Cruise "no" on a $270 million project, and argues they shouldn't take all the blame. One anonymous source told the outlet there's no one in Cruise's camp to tell him "no."

That's one unnamed source's take, so grain of salt, but it's the line everyone in Hollywood will be quoting this week.

Meanwhile, Verity Wins The Weekend

Plot twist: Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson's Verity took No. 1 with about $32.6 million, per Variety. That's despite its own C+ CinemaScore and a 34% Rotten Tomatoes score.

It reportedly cost just $40 million, and audiences were 78% female. Dakota Johnson is having a very big weekend, between this and SNL.

The Tea ☕

• Digger opened to ~$8M domestic and ~$20M worldwide, Cruise's lowest opening in 19 years.
• Losses are projected at $150M or more, depending on whose math you trust.
• Verity took the No. 1 spot with a solid $32M+ debut on a $40M budget.

So what happened? Was it the satire, the runtime, the bad buzz, or just the wrong movie at the wrong time? Does Cruise bounce back, or is it time for a new kind of Tom Cruise movie? Sound off below.

Sources: Deadline | Variety