Tom Cruise's latest film, "Digger", is projected to lose around $245 million during its theatrical run after ticket sales fell 60% in its second weekend, making it one of the biggest box office flops of the year and potentially of all time, Variety reported on Sunday (11 October).
The environmental satire, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, earned $14.4 million domestically and $35.3 million worldwide after its second weekend. The film had opened with $8 million in North America and $20 million globally the previous weekend.
Warner Bros had expected theatrical losses of between $150 million and $200 million, but the latest box office performance has prompted the studio to prepare for a larger financial hit.
"Digger" is expected to finish its theatrical run with around $50 million in global earnings.
The film needs to generate an estimated $350 million worldwide to break even, as cinemas retain about half of ticket sales. A Warner Bros spokesperson, however, said the break-even point is $300 million.
The dark comedy stars Cruise as a wealthy oil tycoon whose company triggers a potential catastrophe. The film was a risky investment as a big-budget original production in an increasingly challenging box office market.
Warner Bros initially approved a production budget of $125 million, but costs rose to between $160 million and $180 million after filming ran over schedule.
The studio also spent another $100 million on global marketing, according to sources cited by Variety.
These figures do not include awards-season campaigning costs, which could be reduced following the film's poor reception.
Despite efforts by Hollywood figures, including Anne Hathaway, Jane Fonda, Guillermo del Toro and Mandy Patinkin, to defend the film and encourage audiences to watch it in cinemas, ticket sales continued to decline.
Although many films do not recoup their costs through theatrical releases alone, box office performance affects subsequent revenue from television, streaming and other distribution deals. "Digger" could take even longer to become profitable because Cruise has a deal that allows him to receive a percentage of revenue before the studio recovers its costs.
The film is Warner Bros' final standalone release before its merger with Paramount and adds to a difficult year for the studio, which has recorded theatrical losses from commercial disappointments such as "The Bride" and "Supergirl".
Warner Bros co-chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, who left the company last Friday as "Digger" arrived in cinemas, had overseen a successful 2025 with films including "Sinners", "A Minecraft Movie" and "Weapons".
However, none of the studio's films released this year has crossed $100 million at the North American box office.
The studio's prospects are expected to improve in December with the release of Denis Villeneuve's "Dune: Part III", starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya and Robert Pattinson.