Tom Cruise’s Digger bombed hard in theaters, pulling in an estimated $20 million in its opening weekend at the global box office.
It’s a crushing start for the Alejandro González Iñárritu-directed dark comedy. The movie, which stars an unrecognizable Cruise under a thick bed of makeup, accumulated just $8 million domestically and $12 million internationally.
It’s a $20 million total that props Digger up to be crushed under the weight of its $160 million production budget (via Deadline). With marketing costs unclear, it signals a long, long line to walk if the movie wants to even sniff at turning a profit.
“An oil tycoon faces a mounting environmental catastrophe as politicians and scientists struggle to contain the crisis,” a description for Digger says. The film also stars Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Emma D’Arcy, and Jesse Plemons.
Digger has remained an eye-catching theatrical release for cinephiles but seems to have failed to attract the average audience member in its early October release. Reviews haven’t helped, either, with Rotten Tomatoes reporting a low average for critics at 51% favorability.
Moviegoers have been infamously split on the film, with some calling it one of the worst of the year while others hope to see Cruise in the conversation for best actor. It’s something the film has attempted to work in its favor, though, at least so far, it’s seemingly had little impact. IGN gave it a 6/10 review, saying, “Digger’s satire may not change your thinking on global warming, but there are excellent performances and more than a few laughs.”
2/3 https://t.co/6TBZz7PFCR
— Tom Cruise (@TomCruise) October 3, 2026
“DIGGER is officially in theaters and I am so honored to have had the opportunity to create this film alongside such talented artists,” Cruise said in an X/Twitter post as totals rolled in October 3. “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.”
Cruise’s name was unable to stack up against the competition at the domestic box office, with Digger placed in fifth. In first by a mile was Dakota Johnson, Anne Hathaway, and Josh Hartnett’s Verity, which pulled $32.6 million domestically and $30 million internationally for a worldwide total of $62.6 million. An adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel of the same name, its story follows Johnson’s Lowen Ashleigh, an author who is asked to pick up the pen for another writer after a terrible accident.
It’s a mystery narrative with plenty of twists, turns, and noteworthy cast members, and it was more than enough to convince audiences to show up and see how director Michael Showalter adapted a BookTok classic for the big screen. Despite carrying similar Rotten Tomatoes scores (IGN gave it a 3/10), Verity found success where Digger failed.
Other domestic box office highlights include Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil in second, the Brad Pitt-led Heart of the Beast in third, and Robert Pattinson’s Primetime in fourth. Although Avengers: Endgame Encore, a Marvel movie re-release decorated with a few extra scenes, saw a steep decline after its big return to theaters last weekend, Marvel still managed to walk away with its own victory. Endgame, which originally released in 2019, again boasts the title of highest-grossing theatrical release of all time – for now.
Digger has a lot of shoveling to do if it wants to dig itself out of the hole it’s starting off in. While we wait to see how it fares, you can check out some of IGN’s top-rated movies for 2026.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
