Tom Cruise's new film Digger has flopped at the box office, grossing just $8 million in its North American opening weekend — the actor's worst debut in 19 years and one of the biggest bombs of 2026. The Alejandro G. Iñárritu satire, which cost at least $125 million to produce, finished a humiliating fifth behind Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson's Verity, which opened to $32.6 million.
Tom Cruise. Photo: Harald Krichel (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Digger's $8 Million Opening: The Numbers
According to studio estimates released Sunday, October 4, Digger earned $8 million from 3,321 North American theaters, with just $1.2 million from Thursday previews. The film added $12 million overseas for a $20 million worldwide opening. Tracking services had once pegged the film near $30 million; even revised projections of $12–15 million proved optimistic.
The last time a Tom Cruise film opened this low was 2007's Lions for Lambs ($6.7 million) — but that was a $35 million drama. Digger cost $125 million per Warner Bros., with Variety estimating $160–180 million (a figure the studio disputes), plus roughly $100 million in marketing. Deadline estimates Warner Bros. could lose around $150 million on the film — an industry estimate, not an official figure.
Why Digger Flopped
Digger — a black-comedy disaster satire in which Cruise plays aging oil tycoon Digger Rockwell, who must convince the world he alone can stop an environmental disaster of his own making — was Cruise's first non-action film since 2017's American Made. Critics were split: the film sits at 50% on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences gave it a C CinemaScore, and The New York Post called it Cruise's "first real stinker in nearly 10 years."
It also faced brutal competition. Michael Showalter's erotic thriller Verity, starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, took No. 1 with $32.6 million on a $40 million budget — four times Digger's haul.
What Cruise Said — and What It Cost Warner Bros.
Despite the numbers, Cruise celebrated the film on X on October 3, writing he was "so honored" to have made it and calling the experience "truly unforgettable." Co-stars include John Goodman as the US President, Riz Ahmed, Sandra Hüller, and Jesse Plemons; Ron Howard publicly praised Cruise's performance.
The flop caps a miserable 2026 for Warner Bros. — none of its releases has grossed over $100 million domestically, with Supergirl and The Bride also posting big losses. Digger is reportedly the studio's final release before its Paramount acquisition closes on October 6.
Takeaway: Even the most bankable star in Hollywood can't sell a $225-million satire audiences didn't ask for. Digger may yet find defenders — prestige flops often do — but as a theatrical bet, it's a historic misfire. Watch the breakdown of how Digger became one of 2026's biggest box office bombs.