Tom Cruise's 'Digger' Tracking for Soft $12M-$15M Opening

Warner Bros.' "Digger," starring Tom Cruise and directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, is tracking a disappointing opening of $12 million to $15 million in North America ahead of its October 2 debut, according to Variety. That estimate has been revised down from an earlier projection of $18 million to $20 million.

The film was greenlit at $125 million by Warner Bros. co-chairs Pamela Abdy and Michael De Luca. According to sources, the budget climbed to $160 million to $180 million after production went over schedule.

A Tough Stretch for Warner Bros.

The soft tracking comes during a difficult year for Warner Bros. at the box office, following bombs including Maggie Gyllenhaal's "The Bride!" and DC's "Supergirl." Meanwhile, Paramount Skydance hopes to imminently close its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

For Cruise, "Digger" marks a return to original, non-franchise filmmaking. His 2017 film "American Made" was his last original movie, and that same year he starred in "The Mummy," a notorious flop. His 2022 blockbuster "Top Gun: Maverick" endeared him to younger generations, but 2023's "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning" and 2025's "The Final Reckoning" faced diminishing returns at the box office.

Iñárritu brings his own track record. His 2015 film "The Revenant" generated $533 million globally and earned Leonardo DiCaprio a best actor Oscar, while his 2014 film "Birdman" grossed $103 million against an $18 million budget and won best picture. His last film, "Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths," was set at Netflix.