Digger Bombs With $20 Million Global Opening as Verity Dominates the Box Office

Tom Cruise’s long-gestating dark comedy Digger opened to a disappointing $20 million at the global box office this weekend, a figure that places it firmly among the year’s most notable theatrical flops. Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and starring an unrecognizable Cruise beneath a thick layer of prosthetic makeup, the film earned just $8 million domestically and $12 million internationally between October 3 and its closing Sunday.

The modest total does little to offset Digger’s staggering $160 million production budget, according to reporting from Deadline. With marketing costs still unconfirmed, the numbers suggest a lengthy climb toward profitability for both the studio and Cruise, one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars whose previous films have routinely cleared global grosses well past half a billion dollars.

A Star Transformed, an Audience Absent

Digger follows an oil tycoon grappling with a mounting environmental catastrophe as politicians and scientists scramble to contain the crisis. The ensemble cast also features Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Emma D’Arcy, and Jesse Plemons in supporting roles. Despite its pedigree, the early-October release failed to draw mainstream moviegoers, and critical reception offered little relief: Rotten Tomatoes currently lists a 51% critic favorability rating.

Audiences appear split on the film, with some dismissing it as one of the year’s worst while others have floated Cruise for best actor consideration. That division has done little to generate momentum so far. IGN awarded Digger a 6 out of 10, writing that “Digger’s satire may not change your thinking on global warming, but there are excellent performances and more than a few laughs.”

“DIGGER is officially in theaters and I am so honored to have had the opportunity to create this film alongside such talented artists. Thank you to the entire cast and crew for your dedication, hard work, and joy. The experience was truly unforgettable and I’m so proud of what we created.”

Tom Cruise on X/Twitter

Cruise shared those remarks in an X/Twitter post dated October 3 as opening weekend totals began rolling in. The star’s name alone was not enough to carry Digger past competing releases, however; the film landed fifth at the domestic box office.

Verity Claims the Crown

Dominated first place by a wide margin was Verity, the romantic thriller starring Dakota Johnson, Anne Hathaway, and Josh Hartnett. The film pulled in $32.6 million domestically and $30 million internationally for a worldwide total of $62.6 million, easily outpacing its contemporaries.

An adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, Verity follows Johnson’s Lowen Ashleigh, an author recruited to ghostwrite a sequel for another writer following a tragic accident. Director Michael Showalter navigated the twist-laden source material well enough to convince audiences to turn out in force, even though the film carries critical scores similar to Digger’s. IGN gave Verity just a 3 out of 10, yet it found commercial success where Digger stumbled.

A Busy Weekend at the Box Office

Beyond the top two, the domestic charts featured several other notable entries. Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil claimed second place, while the Brad Pitt-led Heart of the Beast took third and Robert Pattinson’s Primetime landed fourth.

Marvel also secured its own milestone over the weekend. Despite a steep decline following the strong debut of Avengers: Endgame Encore last week, the re-release—decorated with additional scenes—allowed Marvel to reclaim the title of highest-grossing theatrical release of all time. The 2019 original, which briefly lost that distinction earlier this year, now holds the record once again.

Looking Ahead

Digger faces a challenging run ahead as it attempts to recover ground after its underwhelming opening. While studios typically hope for strong holdovers in subsequent weeks, the film’s heavy budget and lukewarm reception suggest a difficult path toward profitability.

As Digger digs itself out of this hole, audiences seeking better-reviewed options can explore some of IGN’s top-rated movies for 2026.