Entertainment News

Tom Cruise's 'Digger' heads for a $245m loss after a 60% second-weekend drop

Digger, Alejandro G Iñárritu's eco-satire starring Tom Cruise, is on course to lose about $245m (£185m), The Guardian reported on October 12, citing Variety. Its second weekend in North America made an estimated $3.2m, a 60% drop from an $8m opening, for a global total of $35.3m and a projected final take of about $50m.

A week earlier, The Guardian reported a $20m global opening, including $12m from 74 markets, and an estimated loss of $150m. Amazon MGM's Verity took the top spot instead. Critics were split: The Guardian's own reviewers called it both “self-congratulatory” and “a masterpiece”.

The flop came days after Cruise promoted the film in Seoul, his 13th visit, more than any other Hollywood actor, The Korea Herald said. He plays Digger Rockwell, a Texas oil baron whose Arctic drilling sends a glacier towards Europe.

“It's the most original film.” — Tom Cruise, in Seoul, via The Korea Herald

How each outlet framed it

• The Guardian — the numbers, and a place among history's biggest flops, next to Cutthroat Island and The Marvels.
• The Guardian (opening weekend) — a bitter final note for Warner Bros before its Paramount takeover.
• The Korea Herald — the star's view before release, from a Seoul press conference.

Where the numbers differ: Variety estimates the film needs about $350m to break even; a Warner Bros spokesperson says $300m. Production cost estimates range from $150m to $180m, against an original budget of $125m.