Oof: predictions tip Digger for Tom Cruise’s lowest opening in twenty years
Digger looks set to hand Tom Cruise his weakest opening in years, with forecasts pointing to a notably soft debut.
If you're keeping tabs on the state of the modern blockbuster, things are looking a bit dicey for Tom Cruise this week. Normally, the man turns up, smiles enigmatically, sprints along some precarious ledge, and the audience follows him right into the multiplex. But his newest film, Digger, is another matter altogether.
Digger is headed for the softest start of Cruise’s entire career since Lions for Lambs, aiming for just $11 million this weekend.
Tom Cruise Bites the Dust?
To be blunt, Digger seems like a tough sell – and not just for casual cinema-goers. Reviews have been rough, to put it diplomatically (we were split, if you want the full story), and it sounds as if the film's gone out of its way to frustrate or downright troll the people who bought a ticket. If you were hoping for Cruise to reverse his current run and score yet another crowd-pleaser, this probably isn't the one. With a price tag crossing $120 million, box office prospects look grim; projections paint this as likely to earn just $11 million on its first weekend. That's the worst Cruise opening we've seen since Lions for Lambs in 2007, which, for anyone new to the numbers, is a long time for a star of his calibre.
Here's a particularly galling twist for film nerds: Digger nudges The Odyssey off the IMAX 70mm screens. That one's still selling out as of last weekend, while Digger was shot with extravagant 65mm VistaVision kit – yet it looks set to underwhelm even with the fancy format. With this lukewarm response, I wouldn't be stunned if the IMAX bump only lasts a week before The Odyssey makes a triumphant return. Disgruntled fans will no doubt make their feelings known online.
The Battle for Top Spot
Instead, the big winner looks to be Verity, the hotly-anticipated adaptation of Colleen Hoover's best-seller. Starring Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett, it's got more star wattage than a West End panto. Even so, patchy reviews seem to have put a dent in its dreams of preposterous success: think more Practical Magic 2 than box office world-beater. Still, an opening of $25 million should easily put it top of the pile.
It gets more interesting just below. Resident Evil is looking surprisingly healthy (good word-of-mouth, apparently) and may give Digger a good kicking with about $12-14 million. Heart of the Beast is on track for around $10 million, sneaking past Avengers: Endgame Encore – the re-release seems to have run out of road now fans have picked it over for any notable new footage. The best Marvel can hope for is about $9 million this time.
Meanwhile, Beware Boiúna is opening just outside the top five – $7 million predicted, probably edged out by Primetime in its second weekend, which could nab $8 million if momentum holds.
- Verity: $25 million
- Resident Evil: $12 million
- Digger: $11 million
- Heart of the Beast: $10 million
- Avengers: Endgame Encore: $9 million