After the reviews, Tom Cruise’s Digger is tracking to open with less than a tenth of its budget
Once tracking higher, Tom Cruise’s Digger has had its opening-weekend forecast slashed after mixed reviews, with studio expectations quietly rolled back, per Variety.
If you've been wondering what on earth is going on with Digger – Tom Cruise charging around in an R-rated eco-disaster comedy, directed by Iñárritu, no less – well, let's just say the vibes are… complicated. All the pre-release noise had this pegged as a big Oscar season play, but now the conversation is mostly about how it might be Warner Bros.' next box office headache. So, how did we get here?
Expectations (and Reality) at the Box Office
Studio forecasts started off relatively cheery for Digger, despite its oddball premise – early tracking suggested the film would kick off with an $18–$20 million opening in the States. Then the critics showed up. The reviews landed with a distinctly heavy thud, and as a result, Warner Bros. has had to edge those numbers right down to $12–$15 million domestic for opening weekend. To give you a sense of how nervous they're getting, the film cost somewhere in the neighbourhood of $160–$180 million, so they'll need a world-class rescue job internationally if this thing is going to break even.
Digger's budget sits at a hefty $160–$180 million, a major risk for an R-rated original comedy.
Not helping matters, Warner Bros. is already having a rough year – remember the Supergirl mess? The hope now is that Cruise's international clout will bail them out abroad, as it's done before (say what you want about recent Mission: Impossible movies, they still cleaned up outside the US).
Why Critics Are Split
As for the film itself, it's been accused of being a bit too in love with its own cleverness, and too aloof for its own good. Early reviews have shrugged off Iñárritu and Cruise's approach, claiming audiences will probably struggle to connect — and a lot of them aren't having much fun, either. One of the stinging lines from The Hollywood Reporter sums up a lot of the mood:
It’s difficult to imagine mainstream audiences ever wanting to be a part of this bludgeoning ordeal.
Empire went even harsher on the navel-gazing, suggesting the film "appears more concerned with itself than with the audience." The New York Post wasn't taken with Cruise either, arguing he's "just not very good, even as a cartoony caricature with no depth." On the flip side, there are defenders out there: Deadline, for example, thinks Iñárritu's direction is as fascinating and original as ever, even if the whole thing isn't what most punters would call "fun."
What's Next?
- Digger lands worldwide on 2 October 2026.
Whether the film grows on people or fizzles fast likely depends on word of mouth abroad – Cruise has worked miracles before, but this is probably his weirdest challenge yet.
Read more: Warner Bros. has answered the bad reviews for Tom Cruise's Digger with a three-word ad