Tom Cruise’s Digger could become one of the biggest flops in film history – and it’s not the only box office disaster this year
Updated . First published at
Tom Cruise’s latest film Digger is projected to lose $US245 million ($351 million) in the most spectacular box office flop of the year.
The film, from Alejandro G. Iñárritu, brought in just $US8 million ($11 million) in its opening weekend with ticket sales plummeting by 60 per cent in its second, scraping together just $US3.2 million ($4.5 million) in the domestic box office.
Tom Cruises latest film Digger is expected to lose $US245 million ($351 million) in the most spectacular box office flop of the year. Supplied/Warner Bros.
Digger has reportedly made just $US35 million ($50 million) in the global box office, a far cry away from the $US350 million ($501 million) Warner Brothers needed to break even.
Warner Bros stands to lose $US245 million ($351 million), making it not just the biggest flop of the year, but putting it in contention for one of the worst disasters in cinema history.
Variety estimates the production alone cost anywhere between US$160 million and $US180 million ($230 million to $258 million) while another $US100 million ($143 million) was spent on marketing.
The outlet noted that because cinemas keep 50 per cent of revenue, the film needed to make well over $US300 million ($430 million) to churn a profit.
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Digger’s giant implosion at the box office means the film joins the ranks of the biggest flops in film history, putting it up there with Cutthroat Island ($US222 million or $319 million loss, adjusted to inflation), Mortal Engines ($US175 million or $250 million) and The Marvels ($US237 million or $339 million).
It’s not clear why the film performed so badly, but US outlets are putting the flop down to bad word-of-mouth reviews and confusing marketing messages.
In the film, Cruise plays a mega-wealthy oil baron named Digger Rockwell, who “embarks on a frantic mission to prove that he is humanity’s saviour before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything,” according to IMDb.
It’s not clear why the film performed so badly, but US outlets are putting the flop down to bad word-of-mouth reviews and confusing marketing messaging. Getty Images
Cruise said the project was unlike anything he had ever worked on while speaking at a Warner Bros launch in Los Angeles.
“I have never had something that could challenge me in this way, and neither had Alejandro when we went in, ever,” he said, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“When you see this film, it’s totally original.”
Cruise underwent a dramatic transformation for the film, but that alone wasn’t enough to spike curiosity for audiences to show up at the theatre.
While it might be the most spectacular flop this year, it’s not the only film that severely underperformed at the box office in 2026.
DC’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow also suffered a major blow at the box office.
The film made roughly $US126 million ($181 million) at the box office with a budget of $US170 to $US200 million ($244 to 287 million). This brings it to a total loss of more than $US150 million ($215 million).
Warner Brothers spent over $100 million on marketing alone Joe Maher/Getty Images
Another box office disappointment came with Disney’s Live Action Moana.
The film, a remake of the animated smash hit, had a budget of $US250million ($385 million), making $US325 million ($466m) at the global box office. The film lost $US120 to $US150 million ($172 to $215 million).
Other box office flops of the year included The Bride! starring Maggie Gyllenhaal, which made a loss of $US45 million ($65 million).
