The Vector

Digger set to lose $245m after second-weekend slump

Tom Cruise’s latest film has taken about $35m worldwide against estimated production and marketing costs of $280m.

Tom Cruise’s Digger is now forecast to lose about $245m (£185m) over its theatrical run after ticket sales fell by roughly 60% in its second weekend. The figure is an industry estimate rather than a final accounting, but it puts the Warner Bros release among Hollywood’s most expensive recent failures.

The film took about $3.2m in the United States and Canada during its second weekend, according to estimates reported by the Associated Press. That placed it eighth in the North American chart, while its worldwide takings rose to roughly $35m.

A report published on Monday said the film was expected to finish its cinema run with around $50m globally. Against estimated combined production and marketing costs of about $280m, analysts put the eventual loss at approximately $245m.

The calculation depends on assumptions about further cinema sales, digital rentals and other post-theatrical income. Variety has estimated that Digger would need about $350m at the worldwide box office to break even, taking into account the studio’s costs, cinema owners’ share of ticket revenue and a possible awards campaign. Warner Bros has disputed that threshold, putting its own break-even figure at about $300m.

Digger opened with about $8m in North America and $20m worldwide, including roughly $12m from international markets. That was already well below the level normally expected from a major release led by Cruise, whose recent films have included new instalments in the Top Gun and Mission: Impossible franchises.

The film is a satirical black comedy directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, with Cruise playing the oil magnate Digger Rockwell. Its poor commercial performance has followed generally negative reviews and weak audience word of mouth. Warner Bros responded with a marketing campaign encouraging viewers to “decide for yourself”.

The result is also a test of Hollywood’s willingness to finance expensive, adult-oriented films outside established franchises. Variety reported that Digger had a production budget of between $160m and $180m, with about $100m spent on marketing. The scale of that investment left little room for a slow theatrical build or a narrowly targeted audience.

The loss estimate should not be confused with a confirmed final figure. Studios do not usually publish complete title-by-title profit-and-loss accounts, and the eventual result will depend on later digital, television and licensing revenue.

For now, the new second-weekend figures have strengthened the view that Digger will be remembered less for its cast and director than for the size of the commercial gamble behind it.

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