Tom Cruise’s latest film, the satirical black comedy Digger, is projected to lose approximately $245 million (£185 million) following a steep decline in ticket sales. Industry analysts note the film’s second weekend saw a 60% drop in audiences, bringing total global takings to roughly $35 million (£26 million).
The production, which features Cruise as an oil magnate named Digger Rockwell, cost Warner Bros an estimated $280 million (£211 million) to produce and market. Variety projections suggest the movie will end its theatrical run with roughly $50 million (£38 million) globally. Reaching a break-even point remains a significant challenge; analysts estimate the film requires $350 million (£264 million) to cover costs, including marketing, theater revenue splits, and potential awards season campaigns. A studio spokesperson disputed this, citing a lower break-even threshold of $300 million (£227 million). However, a Warner Bros spokesman pushed back slightly on the figure, telling Variety the film’s break even point was $300m (£227m).
Addressing performance concerns, Cruise commented last week that he does not view projects in terms of opening weekend results, preferring to focus on films that possess longevity and the ability to evolve. The project, directed by Alejandro G Iñárritu, received generally poor critical reviews, leading the studio to initiate a marketing push encouraging viewers to reach their own conclusions. According to but Cruise, Last week, external that he “never thought of movies when I’m making them [in terms of] opening weekend,” adding he was instead focused on making films that “hopefully will translate, last and evolve”. Best known for films such as Birdman, Babel and The Revenant, the film is directed by Alejandro G Iñárritu.
Digger marks the final standalone release for Warner Bros prior to its acquisition by Paramount. Its current struggles contrast sharply with the box office dominance of recent Cruise-led franchises like Top Gun and Mission: Impossible.
Box office challenges also hit Aaron Sorkin’s latest project, The Social Reckoning. The film, which stars Mikey Madison, Jeremy Strong, and Jeremy Allen White, managed only $5.5 million (£4.1 million) in the United States. This result significantly underperforms when compared to the $22 million (£16 million) opening weekend achieved by its 2010 predecessor, The Social Network. The film’s box office takings relative to its budget mean it could become one of the biggest film flops in Hollywood history.
Globally, The Social Reckoning earned approximately $9 million (£6.8 million). The film recounts the story of Facebook engineer Frances Haugan, who leaked internal documentation regarding company practices.
The title faced stiff competition in the US market, ranking behind several other features, including the horror release Other Mommy, the psychological thriller Verity, the video game adaptation Resident Evil, and the wilderness thriller Heart of the Beast, starring Brad Pitt.
