Overview
- Digger opened Oct. 2 to roughly $8 million in North America and $20 million globally, and exit polling gave it a C+ CinemaScore while critics rated it about 50–51 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
- Trade analyses now put likely theatrical losses near $150 million with some estimates rising toward $200 million, a projection based on the weak box office and follow-up revenue forecasts.
- Reported costs differ widely: net production budgets are cited between about $125 million (after tax credits) and $160–180 million while global marketing is commonly reported near $100 million, producing disputed studio break-even figures of roughly $300–$350 million.
- Tom Cruise publicly defended the film and Warner Bros. pivoted marketing to lean into its divisive reception, but poor domestic and international turnout undercut the movie’s large-format, IMAX-first rollout.
- Critics and audiences were sharply split but most reviews praised Riz Ahmed’s supporting turn, and the financial fallout may make studios more cautious about greenlighting costly, unconventional auteur projects.