Tom Cruise stars as a decrepit Texas oil tycoon in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s high-stakes satire Digger,
which opened with an estimated $8 million in North American theaters over the weekend following divided reviews and an audience C+ CinemaScore.
Tom Cruise Oil Tycoon Satire Opens Below Expectations
From filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu, the project grossed $3.3 million on Friday including Thursday previews, heading toward an opening of roughly $8 million from 3,300 North American theaters, according to industry tracking data published by trade outlets. Warner Bros. launched the R-rated black comedy with high aspirations, positioning the $125 million production as both an awards contender and a major showcase for its lead star. Instead, independent projections for the opening weekend did not exceed $20 million before ticket sales fell even lower. That trajectory places the launch below the $12 million to $15 million range initially projected by the studio.
The film casts Cruise as Digger Rockwell, an unsightly and balding oil tycoon who must confront the ecological consequences of an environmental disaster. Goodman plays the loudmouth President of the United States, delivering lines that mirror the production’s turbulent pre-release buzz. Behind the scenes, production costs climbed significantly higher than the initial budget, ballooning to between $160 and $180 million after filming ran long.
Critics and Audiences Divide Over the Satire
Reviewers remain sharply split on the ambitious satire. While some critics praised the bold direction and Cruise’s lead performance, others dismissed the tone.
General audiences registered an even sharper rejection, handing the picture a C+ CinemaScore. That grade matches the lowest marks of Cruise’s career, sharing the identical audience score earned by his 2007 war drama Lions for Lambs,
which debuted with $6.7 million. Despite the weak box office returns and poor audience polling, Cruise shared an optimistic message on social media regarding the collaborative effort behind the project.
“I am so honored to have had the opportunity to create this film alongside such talented artists. Thank you to the entire cast and crew for your dedication, hard work, and joy. The experience was truly unforgettable and I’m so proud of what we created.”
Tom Cruise, actor
The opening stands as the lowest domestic bow for a Cruise-led vehicle in nearly two decades. Industry analysts note that the star’s recent box office dominance relied heavily on high-octane franchise spectacles like Top Gun: Maverick,
making this auteur-driven satire a departure from audience expectations. Rentrak box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian observed that observers must evaluate the project based on its unique artistic ambitions rather than standard commercial expectations for the actor.
Colleen Hoover Adaptation Verity Claims the Weekend Crown
While the oil tycoon satire struggled for traction, Amazon MGM Studios captured the top spot at the domestic box office with the psycho-thriller Verity.
Directed by Michael Showalter and adapted from Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, the film collected $15.1 million on Friday alone and is projected to finish the weekend with a dominant $33.6 million from 3,510 North American locations.
The adaptation stars Anne Hathaway as injured author Verity Crawford, alongside Dakota Johnson as a struggling ghostwriter and Josh Hartnett as Hoover’s central literary figures.
Warner Bros. Faces Leadership Changes During Slump
The commercial stumble arrives at a delicate moment for Warner Bros. Pictures. The studio is preparing for its final release as a standalone entity before Paramount Skydance finalizes its $111 billion merger. Leadership changes are already underway, with film chiefs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy departing as Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein prepare to assume control. While the outgoing executives steered critical successes like One Battle After Another
and Sinners
through 2025, the studio’s 2026 slate has encountered severe commercial turbulence, with Digger
following earlier misfires including The Bride!
and DC’s Supergirl.
