Tom Cruise is looking beyond opening-weekend numbers after “Digger,” Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s satirical black comedy, debuted with $8 million in North America and $20 million worldwide.
The result ranks among the worst box office openings of Cruise’s career. It is especially damaging for a production that cost between $160 million and $180 million, with an additional marketing budget of $100 million.
Yet Cruise made clear that he does not view a film’s first few days in theaters as the final verdict on its value or longevity. In a now-viral interview on the “On Film With Kevin McCarthy” podcast, published on the same day “Digger” opened, the actor explained that his focus remains on creating movies with staying power.
“When I am making [movies], I’m not going, ‘Opening weekend!’” Cruise said. “I feel very much like we’re going to make something that is a lasting piece of cinema.”
Cruise hopes “Digger” will endure
During the conversation, Cruise and Iñárritu used Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner” as an example of a movie that was attacked when it first reached theaters but later came to be regarded as a science-fiction masterpiece.
“They transcend… you just hope you can make a film that can last,” Cruise said. “So many things happen when you open a movie.”
Cruise also reflected on releasing films during the 1980s and 1990s, when theatrical runs could stretch far beyond a single opening weekend. He cited “Rain Man” and “Born on the Fourth of July” as movies that continued playing in theaters for a year.
“How can I make a film that can translate and last and evolve?” he said. “And I feel that way… that is ‘Digger,’ it’s one of those movies.”
The financial outlook, however, is daunting. Based on its production and marketing costs, “Digger” would need to make approximately $350 million worldwide in theaters merely to break even at the box office. After its $20 million global launch, that target is considered out of reach. The movie is now projected to lose at least $150 million to $200 million from its theatrical run.
A rare non-action role draws divided reviews
“Digger” was widely promoted as Cruise’s first non-action movie role in nearly a decade. He plays Digger Rockwell, an oil tycoon confronted with the end of the world after one of his rigs in Antarctica malfunctions, sending ice caps hurtling toward Europe and elsewhere.
Critical reaction to the film has been sharply split. Some reviews hailed “Digger” as a masterpiece, while others dismissed it as an insufferable misfire. That divide echoes Cruise’s broader point that a movie’s reputation can continue to change after its initial release.
Cruise also addressed the film on social media during its opening weekend, emphasizing his pride in the finished project rather than commenting on its commercial performance.
“Thank you to the entire cast and crew for your dedication, hard work and joy,” he wrote. “The experience was truly unforgettable and I’m so proud of what we created.”
Whether “Digger” ultimately develops the lasting cultural life Cruise hopes for remains uncertain. Its immediate box office prospects are bleak, but the actor is standing firmly behind the movie and arguing that opening-weekend results do not determine which films endure.