Warner Bros. faces $245 million loss from Tom Cruise film ‘Digger’

The film ‘Digger’, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and starring Tom Cruise, has resulted in an estimated loss of $245 million for Warner Bros. following its October 2026 release. Despite a high-profile cast, the production faced significant financial hurdles; while initially budgeted at $125 million, costs rose to between $160 million and $180 million due to production delays, plus an additional $100 million for global marketing.

Domestic performance was weak, with an opening weekend of only $8 million in the United States and a CinemaScore of C+. Total global revenue is projected to reach approximately $50 million, far below the $300 million to $350 million threshold required to break even. The financial situation is further impacted by contractual agreements granting the lead actor a share of early revenues.

Actor Ben Affleck has defended the film against industry criticism. Speaking on the ‘Happy Sad Confused’ podcast, Affleck criticized those celebrating the film’s commercial failure, comparing the reaction to ‘high school bullying’. He argued that penalizing ambitious, risky projects in favor of safe formulas would lead to a lack of originality in cinema.