‘Digger’ Stumbles at the Box Office, and So Did These Great Films

Some of the most loved movies ever made started out as box office disappointments. Now Tom Cruise’s ‘Digger’ is the latest film to open to empty seats, and Deadline says it’s in good company.

Tom Cruise’s latest film, “Digger,” is struggling at the box office, with a disappointing opening weekend and a 60% drop in its second weekend, according to Variety. Still, this isn’t the first ambitious film to have a rough start. Deadline has compiled a list of great films that flopped at the box office, and it puts “Digger” in what it calls “great company.”

Tom Cruise attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures' "Digger" at Directors Village on September 28, 2026 in Los Angeles, California | Source: Getty Images

What's Happening to 'Digger'

The environmental satire from director Alejandro González Iñárritu opened to $8 million in the U.S. and Canada and $20 million worldwide, then fell about 60% in its second weekend. It currently stands at $14.4 million domestically and $35.3 million worldwide, Variety reports.

According to the outlet, the film is expected to lose around $245 million and finish with roughly $50 million worldwide, $300 million short to break even at $350 million, though a Warner Bros. spokesperson pegged the break-even point at $300 million.

It was also reported that the film went over the studio-approved budget of $125 million, growing to between $160 and $180 million when the shoot ran longer than expected. An additional $100 million was also devoted to marketing.

Reviews didn’t help, with Warner Bros. putting effort into social media to urge viewers to see the film and “decide for yourself.” Several big-name stars, including Anne Hathaway, Jane Fonda, Guillermo del Toro, and Mandy Patinkin, helped push the cause.

Variety also reports that Cruise gets paid from revenue before the studio earns back what it spent. It adds that an awards campaign for a film like this might normally cost around $15 million, but this may shrink.

“Digger” is the studio’s last standalone release before Warner Bros. merges with Paramount, following a rough year for the company. The studio is hoping "Dune: Part III" could turn the tide in December.

The Great Films That Stumbled First

Though things are rough for “Digger” now, there is still hope. Deadline says the film is “in great company” with other releases that bombed at first and later found an audience.

The best example may be "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," which Deadline says overcame a flop in 1975 to earn more than $120 million over the years against a $1.2 million budget

"The Big Lebowski" also struggled at first but turned things around eventually, pulling in $48.3 million worldwide, with a $15 million budget.

While the list covered films that eventually got a second life, it doesn’t mean that most flops do. Many never recover. It’s unclear for now if “Digger” will turn things around, but the box office totals do not always dictate a film’s trajectory, as Deadline’s list shows. Only time will tell if “Digger” eventually makes it.