Overview
- Digger, which opened Oct. 2, has earned about $35.3 million worldwide and $14.4 million in North America after a roughly 60% second‑weekend decline.
- Industry analysts have moved projected theatrical losses into a range commonly reported near $150 million to $250 million with many citing a central estimate around $245 million.
- Studio and trade sources disagree on the film’s costs and break‑even math: Warner Bros. states a $125 million production budget and a $300 million break‑even, while trades report $160–$180 million in production overruns, roughly $100 million in marketing, and an analyst break‑even near $350 million.
- Critical and audience response is mixed to negative, with mid‑50s critic scores and a C+ CinemaScore that contributed to weak word‑of‑mouth; Warner Bros. shifted marketing to a “decide for yourself” push and several high‑profile figures publicly defended the picture.
- The timing of the loss — coming as Warner Bros. completes its Skydance/Paramount takeover and after executive departures — raises fresh questions about whether the merged studio will greenlight costly, auteur‑driven projects and how much downstream streaming or awards runs can offset the shortfall.