Tom Cruise’s ‘Digger’ Is In a Box Office Pickle as Warner Bros.’ Final Release as a Standalone Studio

With Paramount set to take ownership of Warner Bros. Discovery, "Digger," the final film in Warner Bros.' 103-year history as a standalone studio, is set to release on Friday. Directed by and starring Tom Cruise, the film is a satire about a decrepit Texas oil tycoon fighting against climate apocalypse he caused. As the release approaches, opening weekend projections for "Digger" hover around $20 million, falling short of last year's "One Battle After Another" which opened to $22 million.

Theatrical sources reveal presales for the opening day of "Digger" are at roughly half of "One Battle's" earnings. Despite Cruise's lead performance and biting satire, critics are split, with some praising the film and others calling it "self-adulating claptrap." With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 50%, it's clear the film's reception is not universally positive.

Warner Bros. invested significantly in the film, with a $125 million budget, featuring VistaVision cinematography, lavish production design, and detailed costume and makeup design to transform Cruise into the aging and unsightly Digger Rockwell. The marketing campaign has centered around Cruise, with teaser trailers showcasing his most famous performances, but the polarizing reception from critics and mixed presales suggest the film may struggle to find an audience beyond devoted cinephiles.

Competition from other films, such as "Heart of the Beast" and "Verity," may further limit "Digger's" box office potential. If "Digger" fails to generate significant word-of-mouth, it could join a list of recent costly missteps by Warner Bros., raising questions about the studio's future.