The US box office this past weekend has delivered a result few expected: Digger, the film starring Tom Cruise and directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, has crashed with a gross of just 8 million dollars in its opening. The result comes at an especially delicate moment for Warner Bros., the studio responsible for the film, which will be integrated into the Skydance group in a matter of hours.
The blow is significant when considering the money invested. According to released data, Digger had a budget between 125 and 180 million dollars, making its debut one of the biggest recent commercial failures in the industry.
An opening far below expectations
The film arrived in 3,300 movie theaters in the United States, a wide release that did not translate into viewers. The film closed its first weekend in fifth place at the box office, far from the positions usually occupied by a project starring Tom Cruise.
Most notably, the final figure was even lower than the forecasts the studio itself had managed after learning of the film's lukewarm reception. Warner Bros. had lowered its expectations to a range of 12 to 15 million dollars for the opening weekend. Not even that more modest scenario was met.
The film also received a C+ rating on CinemaScore, one of the worst grades in Tom Cruise's career. It is his worst theatrical opening since 2007, when Lions for Lambs debuted with 6.7 million dollars, although that production had a much smaller budget.
Another blow for Warner Bros. in the midst of a transition
The failure of Digger comes at an especially symbolic moment for Warner Bros. In less than 48 hours, the studio will officially become part of the Skydance group, thus closing a historic chapter with what has been described as one of its biggest cinematic failures in recent years.
The film's financial result is already being compared to that of Supergirl, another of the studio's recent stumbles, although in this case with even higher investment figures. This outcome reinforces, according to various industry analyses, the decision to remove Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy from the studio's management ahead of the new era under Skydance.
Faced with the negative reviews the film has received, Warner Bros. has opted for an unusual strategy: launching a promotional message that directly invites viewers to "judge for themselves" if the film is as bad as the reviews claim.
Some industry experts warn that the final figures could be even lower than the 8 million initially announced, which would further aggravate the production's economic impact.
Verity leads a box office without major triumphs
The top spot for the weekend went to the premiere of Verity, an adaptation of the Colleen Hoover novel starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson. The film grossed 32.6 million dollars in the United States and has already accumulated 62 million internationally.
Despite the lead, the result is not entirely satisfactory either: the film also received a C+ on CinemaScore and unfavorable reviews. Its 40 million dollar budget, however, will allow it to reach profitability without major complications.
The rest of the top 5
Between the first place and the fifth occupied by Digger are three titles that have been in theaters for several weeks. Resident Evil adds another 12.5 million dollars in its third week, with a total of 124.89 million in the United States and 245 million internationally.
In the Heart of the Beast, starring Brad Pitt, adds 11 million in its second weekend for a total of 38.4 million in the US, supported mainly by the 98.7 million grossed outside the country.
In fourth place appears Primetime, from A24, which adds 8 million more to reach 34 million, awaiting its release in the rest of the world.
Outside the top 5, The Forgotten Island added 7.2 million for a total of 23.6 million, after a also discreet start the previous week.
Avengers: Endgame makes history despite its collapse
In seventh place is the re-release of Avengers: Endgame, which one week after leading the box office collapses to add just 4.4 million dollars, raising the total of its re-release to 36.2 million in the United States.
Worldwide, this re-release has generated an additional 126 million dollars, a relevant figure for a film that was already widely profitable. That extra boost has allowed the film to surpass Avatar and become the highest-grossing film in history, with 2.925 billion dollars compared to the 2.923 billion accumulated by James Cameron's film.
The rest of the top 10
The eighth place went to the premiere of the Indian production Drishyam: The Conclusion, the third installment of the saga, which added 2,715,000 dollars in its US debut.
Closing the top 10 are Practical Magic 2, with 2,665,000 dollars on the weekend and 64.6 million accumulated, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, with 2,450,000 dollars and a global total of 954 million dollars.
For the first time in twelve weeks, The Odyssey falls out of the top 10, dropping to 11th place.
What’s coming to the box office
Next week, The Price of the Network, the sequel to The Social Network, arrives in theaters, revisiting the figure of Mark Zuckerberg from a very different perspective than the first installment. It will be key to observe if the film manages to repeat the commercial and critical impact of its predecessor.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Digger gross in its US opening?
The film grossed 8 million dollars in its first weekend in US theaters, landing in fifth place at the box office.
Who directs Digger?
The film is directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and stars Tom Cruise, alongside Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, and Michael Stuhlbarg.
What was the film’s budget?
According to known figures, Digger's budget ranged between 125 and 180 million dollars, an investment far exceeding what it grossed in its opening.
Why does the failure of Digger especially affect Warner Bros.?
Because it comes just as the studio is about to officially integrate into the Skydance group, making this release one of the company's biggest recent failures before that change.
Which film led the box office that week?
The top spot went to Verity, with Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, which grossed 32.6 million dollars in its US opening.
Is this Tom Cruise’s worst theatrical opening?
It is his worst opening since 2007, when Lions for Lambs debuted with 6.7 million dollars, although that film had a much smaller budget than Digger.
