Tom Cruise's new movie projected to lose $250 million after historic box office flop

The new film starring Tom Cruise, “Digger,” could become one of Hollywood's biggest box office flops in recent years. The Warner Bros. production is projected to lose up to $250 million, even after accounting for revenue from home video and streaming.

According to an exclusive report by The Wrap, the feature film, directed by Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu, grossed just $8 million in the United States and $21 million worldwide during its opening weekend.

This figure is particularly concerning given the high production costs. Sources consulted by the publication estimate the budget at between $163 million and $173 million, in addition to approximately $100 million allocated to marketing, primarily to fund Cruise's international promotional tour.

In addition, the production faced cost overruns related to the actor's makeup and delays stemming from his commitments to “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.”

Internal projections suggest that “Digger” may not exceed $40 million in worldwide box office revenue. Although another source consulted by The Wrap estimates losses of between $200 million and $215 million, the most pessimistic scenario raises that figure to $250 million.

A major blow for Warner Bros.

The film features Cruise as an eccentric oil tycoon whose activities trigger a global environmental catastrophe. The satirical comedy received mixed reviews and failed to attract the actor's usual audience, which is accustomed to his big-budget action blockbusters.

The failure is a particularly significant blow to Warner Bros., which financed the production entirely on its own, without any partners to share the financial risks.

According to The Wrap, Skydance executives were surprised by the magnitude of the projected losses upon taking control of the studio this week, amid the corporate merger with Paramount.

The film had been conceived as a strategic move to restore Warner's relationship with the big stars of Hollywood. However, its disappointing box office performance has made the project the biggest financial failure of Cruise's career, according to estimates published by the outlet.

The result contrasts with the success of “Top Gun: Maverick,” which grossed nearly $1.5 billion worldwide in 2022, and raises questions about the ability of A-list stars to guarantee the commercial success of productions outside of traditional franchises.