The Digger box office numbers are in, and they are brutal for Tom Cruise. Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s satire opened to an estimated $7.5 million to $8 million in North America this weekend, according to Sunday reports on 4 October 2026, the lowest wide opening of Cruise’s career since Lions for Lambs in 2007. The same weekend, the Colleen Hoover thriller Verity took No. 1 with about $33 million on a far smaller budget.
It is a rare sight: the biggest movie star of the last decade, fresh off billion-dollar success with Top Gun: Maverick, beaten roughly four to one by a $40 million adaptation. Here is what happened, what it cost and who loses the most money.
Digger Box Office: The Opening Weekend Numbers
Warner Bros. released Digger in 3,321 theaters on Friday, 2 October. It made about $1.2 million in Thursday previews and $3.4 million on opening day, Variety reported. Warner Bros. had been hoping for $12 million to $15 million. By Sunday, Deadline’s headline called it Cruise’s lowest opening in 19 years.
| Film | Studio | Theaters | Opening weekend (est.) | Reported budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verity | Amazon MGM | 3,510 | About $33 million | $40 million |
| Resident Evil | Sony | n/a | About $12 million | n/a |
| Digger | Warner Bros. | 3,321 | About $7.5 to $8 million | At least $125 million |
| Primetime | A24 | n/a | About $7.5 million | n/a |
Audiences did not rescue it either. Both Digger and Verity drew a C+ CinemaScore, which usually means weak word of mouth. For Verity, a cheap film with a huge book fan base, that is survivable. For a film that reportedly cost at least $125 million, with some reports putting it as high as $160 million to $180 million, it is a serious problem.
What Is Digger About?
Digger is a black comedy and political satire. Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, described as the most powerful man in the world, who races to prove he is humanity’s savior before a disaster he caused wipes everything out. The cast includes Sandra Hüller as his half-sister and business partner, plus Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Michael Stuhlbarg and Jesse Plemons.
On paper it was a prestige bet: a two-time Oscar-winning director, the world’s most bankable actor, a fall awards-season date. In practice, an R-rated satire with divided reviews was always a harder sell than a Mission: Impossible stunt film, and the Digger box office result shows how much audiences tie Cruise to action.
Digger Box Office vs. Tom Cruise’s Track Record
| Year | Film | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Lions for Lambs | The last time a Cruise wide release opened this low |
| 2022 | Top Gun: Maverick | Nearly $1.5 billion worldwide, his biggest hit |
| 2025 | Mission: Impossible, The Final Reckoning | The end of his signature franchise |
| 2026 | Digger | About $7.5 to $8 million opening |
The Digger box office result stands out because Cruise’s value in Hollywood rests on the idea that he can open almost anything. One soft weekend does not erase that, but it gives studios a clear data point: outside his franchises, the Cruise name is not automatically worth $30 million on a Friday to Sunday.
What the Digger Box Office Means for the Money
For Warner Bros., the Digger box office opening is the bad news. With a budget of $125 million or more and a global marketing campaign on top, the film needs several hundred million dollars worldwide to break even. Starting under $10 million domestically makes that nearly impossible, so the studio will lean on international markets, premium video on demand and streaming on HBO Max to limit the damage.
The second weekend will tell the real story. Films with a C+ CinemaScore often drop 60 percent or more, and if the Digger box office total follows that pattern, the domestic run could finish under $25 million. That would put it among the most expensive misfires of 2026.
For Cruise personally, the picture is different. Celebrity Net Worth puts his fortune at $600 million. He reportedly took $13 million upfront for Top Gun: Maverick plus a share of the gross that pushed his earnings past $100 million. Stars of his level are usually paid a large fee up front, so a flop hurts his backend more than his bank account.
The bigger winner of the weekend is Amazon MGM. A $33 million start on a $40 million budget means Verity could be profitable before it even reaches Prime Video. Dakota Johnson, who hosted Saturday Night Live the night after the film opened, got the perfect timing, as we covered in our Dakota Johnson SNL story.
Digger Box Office Winners and Losers: Net Worth of the Stars
| Name | Role | Estimated net worth |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Cruise | Star of Digger | $600 million (Celebrity Net Worth) |
| Anne Hathaway | Star of Verity | $80 million (Celebrity Net Worth) |
| Dakota Johnson | Co-star of Verity | $14 million (Celebrity Net Worth) |
Cruise is not the first action icon to struggle when he steps outside his lane. Sylvester Stallone and Ben Affleck both had passion projects that missed at the box office, and both kept their fortunes growing through franchises, producing and streaming deals.
Digger Box Office FAQ
How much did Digger make on opening weekend?
Digger opened to an estimated $7.5 million to $8 million in North America over 2 to 4 October 2026, from 3,321 theaters.
Is Digger a box office bomb?
Based on its opening, yes. It reportedly cost at least $125 million and opened below $10 million, the lowest start for a Tom Cruise wide release since 2007.
What was No. 1 at the box office this weekend?
Verity, starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, opened at No. 1 with about $33 million.
Does the Digger flop affect Tom Cruise’s net worth?
Only slightly. Cruise is worth an estimated $600 million, and his upfront fee is usually paid regardless of box office. A flop mainly reduces any backend share.
The Bottom Line
The Digger box office weekend is one of the worst of Tom Cruise’s career, and the timing makes it sting: a $40 million thriller beat his $125 million-plus satire by about four to one. Cruise will be fine financially, but Warner Bros. now faces a costly write-down, and the next time he steps away from Mission: Impossible or Top Gun, studios will remember this opening.
