Digger faces a projected domestic opening of $12 to $15 million, according to Warner Bros. The studio also expects an additional $15 to $20 million internationally for the Tom Cruise film.

Those projections follow third-party tracking estimates of around $30 million domestically months ago. The new outlook puts attention on an expensive film that departs from Cruise’s familiar action-franchise roles.

The Hollywood Reporter reported an initial production budget of $125 million. Reports have placed the eventual cost closer to $180 million, a figure a Warner Bros. spokesperson disputes.

Riz Ahmed in a still from Digger. Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
Riz Ahmed in a still from Digger. Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.

Digger Takes Cruise Outside Familiar Franchise Roles

Alejandro G. Iñárritu directed the offbeat feature, which centers on a powerful entrepreneur who causes a natural disaster. Cruise plays a portly, gray-haired character markedly different from recent action roles.

First-look footage drew significant excitement at CinemaCon, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Questions nevertheless remained about the commercial prospects for a film with such an unusual central performance.

The cast also includes Riz Ahmed, John Goodman and Sandra Hüller. Warner Bros. hopes potential Oscar consideration can help sustain ticket sales beyond the opening weekend.

The film arrives after last year’s costly Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning underperformed at the box office. That Paramount release was billed as the franchise’s final installment.

Cruise’s forthcoming Days of Thunder 2 represents another familiar intellectual-property project. Digger’s creative departure has won praise from observers, even as its commercial prospects remain uncertain.

Digger Expectations Extend Beyond Star Power

Rentrak’s Paul Dergarabedian told The Hollywood Reporter that star power alone should not determine expectations. He characterized the film as a filmmaker-centered project rather than a mainstream blockbuster.

“By design, this is a very filmmaker-centric, envelope-pushing movie. It’s not positioned as a mainstream blockbuster, but rather as an audacious filmmaking showcase for one of the world’s biggest movie stars and filmmaker Iñárritu.”

Digger holds a 50 percent critics approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, according to the report. The Hollywood Reporter’s chief film critic David Rooney offered a strongly negative assessment.

Warner Bros. has examples of films extending their business beyond initial openings. Its 2025 best picture winner One Battle After Another recorded a 4.4-times global multiple over its opening weekend.

That film ultimately did not turn a profit because of its hefty budget, The Hollywood Reporter reported. Sinners, another notable 2025 studio release, recorded a 5.8-times multiple.

Warner Bros. Looks For A Stronger Finish

The Hollywood Reporter described 2026 as more challenging for Warner Bros. than 2025. Margot Robbie’s Wuthering Heights has been the studio’s most successful title this year.

That film reached $84 million domestically and a $241 million global cumulative total on an $80 million budget. Earlier disappointments included The Bride! and Supergirl.

Practical Magic 2 has also underperformed, though it remains in theaters. Clayface, The Cat in the Hat and Dune: Part Three are waiting for release later this year.

America’s Gone Viral’s film coverage includes Cruise’s Digger transformation, Paramount’s theatrical commitments, and the Tokyo festival lineup.

For the coming weekend, Amazon MGM Studios projects $27 million to $30 million domestically for Verity. The Hollywood Reporter expects that film to lead the domestic box office.

Dergarabedian urged expectations tied to Digger’s creative ambitions rather than Cruise’s usual franchise appeal. Warner Bros. is looking to potential awards attention to support the film’s longer box office run.