Digger Could Lose Warner Bros. $250 Million

Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s film, which reportedly cost more than $170 million to produce, could ultimately bring in only $40 million at the worldwide box office.

The sinking of Digger is even more impressive than expected.

According to information from TheWrap, Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s film with Tom Cruise could generate a loss of $250 million at the end of its run, even taking into account revenues after its theatrical career. It would be by far the biggest loss of the star’s career, and one of the biggest financial accidents of recent years in Hollywood.

Executives at Skydance – the new entity bringing together Warner and Paramount – were said to have been particularly shocked to discover the extent of the losses for the Warner Bros. film. when taking control of the studio this week. Initial estimates pointed to a loss of around $125 million. But after only $8 million in revenue in the United States and $21 million worldwide for its first weekend, the bill ultimately looks much heavier.

According to several sources cited by TheWrap, Digger is now not expected to exceed $40 million at the worldwide box office.

The film’s budget has reportedly reached $173 million, although part of that is believed to be tied to an unexpected insurance settlement. Another source mentions a final budget of 163 million. Added to this is approximately $100 million in marketing spending, largely devoted to Tom Cruise’s global promotional tour.

And unlike other big Warner productions like Dune, Digger would have been entirely financed by the studio, with no outside financial partners to share the risks.

The film, which puts Tom Cruise in the shoes of a wealthy oil tycoon whose drilling causes a global environmental catastrophe, nevertheless represented a big coup for Warner Bros. when it was launched. The film was personally approved by David Zaslav (former CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery), according to TheWrap, and marked the first project in a new partnership between Tom Cruise and Warner Bros. intended to produce original films and franchises. Pairing one of the world’s biggest stars with Alejandro G. Iñárritu, one of the rare directors to have won two consecutive Oscars for directing, seemed like an obvious choice.