- Primary Subject: Digger
- Key Update: Digger had a disappointing box office in its opening weekend, making it the biggest bomb of Tom Cruise's career.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: October 5, 2026
- Quick Answer: Tom Cruise’s film Digger bombed with a $20M global opening against a $160M+ budget, becoming the biggest box office flop of his career.
Digger has officially become the biggest box office bomb of Tom Cruise's celebrated career.
After years of starring in action movies, the A-list movie star took a big swing by starring in the new satirical comedy-drama film, where he plays the role of Digger Rockwell, an aging oil tycoon. It's a departure from his usual roles over the last two decades, and it is seen as Cruise's attempt to take a new chapter at this point in his career, as well as his potential Oscar playbook.
However, his swing ended up becoming a big miss.
How Much Did Digger Earn at Its Opening Weekend Box Office?
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Digger only earned $8 million in the North American opening weekend box office.
Including worldwide numbers, the film managed to gross around $20 million, making it the biggest box office bomb of Tom Cruise's career. It reportedly has a production budget of around $160-180 million (not yet including the $100 million marketing spend).
While the film's theatrical run is not yet finished, it's not likely able to recoup its budget, and reports have estimated the studio will lose around $150 million. It is now the biggest box office bomb in Hollywood this year, and potentially one of the biggest of all time in Hollywood history.
The film's disappointing box office performance may not come as a surprise, given that it has received polarizing reviews from critics (although Cruise's performance received general praise). Some have also pointed out that the material is not commercial enough.
This is also a massive disappointment, considering that there were expectations that Cruise's stardom would be able to attract audiences to watch an original movie. However, alas, the film's seemingly bold swing may not have won over some people who saw the marketing materials.
There are questions now about whether the film's box office performance would affect Cruise's future choices in his career, since his decision to take a non-action role in a big-budget project did not go as well as he may have hoped.
What Is Digger About?
Digger follows the most powerful man in the world who embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything.
The cast includes Tom Cruise, Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Jesse Plemons. Alejandro G. Iñárritu directed the film from a screenplay by Iñárritu, Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolás Giacobone, and Sabina Berman, with a story by Berman, Iñárritu, and Jez Butterworth.
The film was shot using VistaVision cameras, giving it a distinctive visual style unlike that of many conventional theatrical releases.
Cruise explained in an interview: "Performance is not just about me. It’s about the environment, it’s setting, it’s tone—all of that is important. You want to prepare, prepare, prepare, and we’re deliberate, but you want surprises. We all had an idea of what it was going to be, but there were always those surprises, and it has an organic feel to it. Those are the things that I enjoy. I enjoy films like that. I like the way that looks."
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