Tom Cruise's Digger Projected to Lose $250 Million for Warner Bros.
Tom Cruise's dark comedy Digger is projected to earn less than $40 million in theaters, which could result in a $250 million loss for Warner Bros. The film's production budget was between $163 million and $173 million, with an additional $100 million for marketing. After an $8 million opening weekend, it may join the ranks of notorious box office failures like John Carter and The Lone Ranger.
Digger, directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, stars Tom Cruise alongside John Goodman, Riz Ahmed, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Jesse Plemons. The dark comedy follows a powerful figure confronting the fallout of his choices and has been called Cruise's most political film in years. Its early reception has been weak, including poor Rotten Tomatoes results and an $8 million debut.
Forecasts suggest the Warner Bros. release may not exceed $40 million in theaters. It could lose $250 million after a $163–$173 million production cost and $100 million marketing spend. That scale places it near historic flops such as John Carter and The Lone Ranger.
A projected $250 million loss could weigh on Warner Bros., potentially influencing which projects get greenlit and how much marketing support they receive. Employees, investors, and creative partners may feel ripple effects if the studio tightens spending. Tom Cruise's commercial standing could also face renewed scrutiny, though one film may not redefine a long career. Audiences might see fewer risky, big-budget dark comedies if this outcome discourages similar bets. The broader industry may treat Digger as a cautionary example about costs, genre, and opening-weekend performance.