Digger Early Box Office Tracking Means New Tom Cruise Movie May Be in Trouble

New Tom Cruise movie Digger‘s early box office tracking suggests a grim outlook for its future. The feature is scheduled to hit the big screens on October 2, 2026.

According to a recent X post from Matthew Belloni, Digger has debuted on tracking at a $20 million domestic gross. Belloni also pointed out that such figures will be a significant setback to the movie’s expectations of gaining momentum at the box office. This is especially considering that the movie has a production budget of $125 million, according to The Numbers.

The latest dark comedy comes with a new role for Cruise. Known for his action-heavy roles in movies like Mission: Impossible and more, the 64-year-old will play the billionaire, Digger Rockwell. After he unleashes a global disaster, Rockwell embarks on a mission to persuade everyone that he can save civilization from the impending catastrophe.

Why Tom Cruise’s Digger could still make plenty of money even if it has a bad opening weekend

Even if Digger does not have a modest opening weekend, its theatrical run may not end quickly. If the movie receives good reviews and gains critics’ attention during the awards season, theaters might continue showing it for longer.

Additionally, if Digger receives Oscar nominations, the studio could even bring it back to theaters, potentially including IMAX screenings. If Tom Cruise’s acting receives major award attention, it might also help the movie secure more earnings in the near future.

Digger is directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. Alongside Tom Cruise, the cast of the 128-minute dark comedy features Sandra Hüller, Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Jesse Plemons, Michael Stuhlbarg, Emma D’Arcy, Burn Gorman, Mercedes Hernández, Robert John Burke, Danny Kirrane, and Pip Torrens.

Reflecting on his decision to cast Cruise in the lead role, Iñárritu stated, per the Motion Picture Association, “People often ask me why I chose Tom to play Digger. To me, that’s like asking somebody why you drink water when you are thirsty. Because it’s what you need.”

The director added, “I admired him as an actor for years, and that wasn’t a surprise for me. The surprise was discovering that the human being behind the actor was just as extraordinary as the performances I would see throughout his career.”

Source: Comingsoon.net