In brief
Tom Cruise’s new satirical comedy “Digger” is projected to lose roughly $245m, analysts say, after a 60% drop in second‑week ticket sales. The film’s worldwide gross sits at $35m against a combined production and marketing cost of $280m, making it a potential Hollywood flop. Cruise dismissed opening‑week numbers as irrelevant, focusing instead on long‑term resonance, while Warner Bros estimates a break‑even point of $300m-$350m. The movie’s performance highlights the sharp contrast with Cruise’s recent franchise successes and comes as Warner Bros teeters on a takeover by Paramount.
Tom Cruise’s latest film Digger is expected to lose around $245m (£185m), Hollywood analysts have said, after the film’s continuing poor performance in cinemas.
Ticket sales for the satirical black comedy, which stars Cruise as oil magnate Digger Rockwell, dropped by around 60% in the film’s second weekend.
It brings Digger’s total box office takings to around $35m (£26m) globally so far. The film is estimated to have cost its studio Warner Bros around $280m (£211m) to make and market.
Cruise said last week Cruise said last week that he never thought of movies when he’s making them in terms of opening weekend, adding he was instead focused on making films that hopefully will translate, last and evolve.
The film’s takings relative to its budget mean it could become one of the biggest film flops in Hollywood history.
Digger’s performance is in sharp contrast to the success of IP‑driven hits starring Cruise in recent years, such as new instalments of the Top Gun and Mission: Impossible franchises.
Digger is directed by Alejandro G Iñárritu, best known for films such as Birdman, Babel and The Revenant.
Hollywood trade publication Variety said Digger was expected to end its box office run with around $50m (£38m) worldwide.
The film would need around $350m (£264m) to break even, due to its budget, marketing costs, the portion of ticket sales that go to theatres and the likely spend on an awards season campaign.
However, a Warner Bros spokesman pushed back slightly on the figure, telling Variety the film’s break‑even point was $300m (£227m).
Digger was the last standalone release for the studio before its recent takeover by Paramount.
