Tom Cruise’s ‘Digger’ Opens to Just $8 Million, His Lowest Debut in 19 Years

Tom Cruise’s latest film, Digger, opened to just $8 million at the North American box office, delivering the actor’s lowest domestic debut in 19 years, according to Deadline.

The satirical black comedy carries a reported production budget of $160 million to $180 million, leaving a substantial gap between its opening receipts and the cost of making it.

The weak start puts pressure on the Warner Bros. release, although an opening weekend alone does not establish a film’s eventual losses. Its subsequent theatrical performance and other revenues will determine how much of that investment it recovers.

A DIFFERENT ROLE, A DIFFICULT OPENING

In Digger, Cruise plays a balding, heavier oil tycoon, a departure from the action roles that have dominated his recent screen appearances.

The project takes him back towards the filmmaker-led work associated with earlier performances in Rain Man, Born on the Fourth of July and Magnolia.

That change of direction has so far struggled to translate into ticket sales. The $8 million opening is a modest return for a film with such a large reported production budget and a star of Cruise’s stature.

The result also comes at a significant corporate moment for Warner Bros. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount Skydance’s $111 billion merger with the studio is expected to be finalised on October 6.

CRUISE SAYS HE IS ‘PROUD’ OF THE FILM

Following the release, Cruise shared photographs from the shoot and thanked the people who worked on the production.

“Digger is officially in theatres, and I am so honoured to have had the opportunity to create this film alongside such talented artists,” he wrote.

“Thank you to the entire cast and crew for your dedication, hard work and joy. The experience was truly unforgettable and I’m so proud of what we created.”

His message focused on the filmmaking experience and his appreciation for the cast and crew, without addressing the opening-weekend collections.

‘VERITY’ TAKES THE TOP SPOT

Amazon MGM Studios’ Verity led the domestic chart, earning $32.6 million from 3,510 North American locations.

The adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel drew an audience that was 78 per cent female. Viewers aged 25 to 34 accounted for 38 per cent of its opening-weekend crowd.

Its debut was more than four times that of Digger, leaving Cruise’s film facing an uphill theatrical run after an expensive production and a subdued start.

With inputs from ANI