Tom Cruise’s ‘Digger’ Is Now Projected to Lose Hundreds of Millions, Making It One of Hollywood’s Biggest Box-Office Bombs

When ‘Digger’ was first greenlit, Warner Bros. treated it as a major win. The Alejandro G. Iñárritu satire was the first film under a new deal with Tom Cruise, one of the biggest movie stars in the world, to make original and franchise films for the studio.

The Tom Cruise climate comedy cast him as Digger Rockwell, a wealthy oil tycoon whose reckless drilling triggers a global environmental catastrophe. Cruise is almost unrecognizable in the role, playing a paunchy, balding billionaire who shares his home with a dying cat and a collection of stuffed animals.

Now the film’s financial picture has grown far worse. According to an exclusive report from TheWrap, ‘Digger’ is projected to lose a staggering $250 million by the end of its run, even after post-theatrical revenue is counted.

The new estimate is roughly double earlier projections, which had placed the loss at around $125 million. Variety had previously estimated a theatrical loss of between $150 million and $200 million.

The bigger number comes after the film opened to just $8 million domestically and $21 million worldwide. Insiders at Skydance now say the film is not expected to pass $40 million at the global box office.

TheWrap reports the movie’s final budget was $173 million according to multiple insiders, though part of that was tied to an unexpected insurance settlement. Another insider placed the budget at $163 million.

On top of that, the studio spent around $100 million on marketing, much of it linked to Cruise’s global press tour. Warner Bros. also fully financed the film rather than sharing the risk with outside partners.

A man. A plan. A meltdown. DIGGER. Only in theaters October 2. https://t.co/tHOTqXsWIM

— Tom Cruise (@TomCruise) September 9, 2026

Reports from December indicated the project was originally greenlit with a $125 million production budget. Costs climbed well beyond that as production moved forward. The result is a blockbuster-sized investment in an R-rated, experimental dark comedy without a built-in franchise audience.

That combination has left the film facing an uphill battle since its October 2 release. The loss is now the largest of Cruise’s career. Dark Horizons noted it puts ‘Digger’ in the company of infamous money-losers such as ‘John Carter’, ‘The Lone Ranger’, ‘The Marvels’, ‘Strange World’ and ‘Mortal Engines’.

The timing adds another layer to the story. Skydance has just completed its takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, and executives were reportedly shocked to learn the full extent of the losses.

TheWrap also reports that the project was originally greenlit by David Zaslav himself. For the newly merged company, the result is the opposite of the early success it would have hoped for. Beyond the box office, the film has split viewers. Some critics found it confusing, while others praised it as bold and comically over the top.

Supporting cast members include Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg and Jesse Plemons. Several Hollywood names, including Anne Hathaway, have publicly championed the film despite its struggles.

The setback will not slow Cruise down for long. He is set to return in ‘Days of Thunder 2’, which begins production next year for Paramount and co-stars Hathaway. Cruise is also working on a third ‘Top Gun’ film. Still, ‘Digger’ stands as a rare and costly misfire for a star whose career has been defined by box office success.

Online reaction has been mixed, with some viewers questioning the size of the budget. Others lamented that studios may now be even less willing to take big swings on original films.

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