Tom Cruise's latest film, Digger, opened to just $8 million at the U.S. box office, a result far below expectations for a production that cost upwards of $180 million, according to Variety. The dark comedy, directed by Oscar winner Alejandro González Iñárritu, has left Cruise reeling, with a source telling Yahoo's In Touch that the actor is "totally stunned by the numbers."
The source added that Cruise "poured everything he had into Digger and genuinely believed people would love it." The poor opening has sparked widespread industry discussion about the film's financial prospects, with TheWrap reporting it could lose as much as $250 million and Deadline projecting losses around $150 million.
Why it matters
The scale of Digger's underperformance is significant for several reasons. Cruise is one of the few remaining actors whose name alone has historically been enough to draw audiences to theaters, particularly through the Mission: Impossible franchise. A flop of this magnitude raises questions about whether even established stars can guarantee returns on big-budget original films that are not tied to existing intellectual property.
The film's budget also places it among the more expensive releases of the year, and its failure could influence how studios approach similar projects. Iñárritu, who has won Academy Awards for Birdman and The Revenant, is known for auteur-driven filmmaking, and the pairing of a major action star with a celebrated director was seen as a notable creative gamble.
The losses reported by TheWrap and Deadline would make Digger one of the year's most costly box office disappointments, though final figures will depend on international returns and ancillary revenue.
Cruise's hopes for awards recognition and personal challenges
Despite the disappointing opening, the source told Yahoo that Cruise "still believes in the film passionately and he is still holding out hope he'll get recognized by the Academy." That hope may face an uphill battle given the commercial reception, though awards campaigns are not always tied to box office performance.
The source also said it is "clear to everyone that he's totally devastated by the public's reaction to this film."
The release comes at a difficult personal moment for Cruise, according to the same source. The 64-year-old actor split from Ana de Armas in 2025, and the source said "things didn't work out with Ana, which was a huge disappointment."
The source also referenced Cruise's relationship with his daughter Suri, 20, who he shares with ex-wife Katie Holmes. Earlier this year, People reported that Suri, a student at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, legally dropped Cruise as her last name and now uses her mother's middle name, Noelle.
"That situation is incredibly painful for him and the fact that it's all played out so publicly only makes it worse," the source told Yahoo. "He really needed a big win with his career right now and instead he's got what is shaping up to be his first flop."
Cruise also shares daughter Isabella, 33, and son Connor, 31, with ex-wife Nicole Kidman.
Industry context and what Cruise has said about box office
The poor debut stands in contrast to comments Cruise made shortly before Digger's release. Variety reported that Cruise said he does not make movies for "opening weekend," adding, "You hope to make a film that can last."
That philosophy may now be tested as the film faces a steep climb to recoup its production costs. The New York Times described Digger as "the year's most divisive movie," a characterization that suggests strong reactions in both directions rather than indifference.
The source told Yahoo that Cruise has "plenty of friends rallying around" him, including David Beckham, but added, "there's only so much they can do. Fact is, he's struggling right now."
The film's performance will be closely watched in the coming weeks to see whether it can build any momentum through word of mouth or international markets. For now, the opening weekend numbers and projected losses have made Digger a focal point in conversations about the risks of original, big-budget filmmaking and the limits of star power.
What happens next will depend on how the film performs internationally and whether Cruise's awards hopes gain any traction despite the commercial setback.
