Tom Cruise delivers verdict on ticket sales as Digger sees historic box office bomb

Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s satirical black comedy has become one 2026’s biggest box office bombs, making just $8 million in its opening weekend in North America on a production budget north of $160 million.Reports have suggested that the film, which stars Cruise as Digger Rockwell, would need to make roughly $350m (£261m) globally just to break even.Tom Cruise at the London premiere of DiggerGetty ImagesHowever, the 64-year-old has revealed that the disastrous figures do not worry him.Speaking on the Film With Kevin McCarthy podcast on Friday, October 2 - the same day Digger was released - Cruise said he is more focused on a film’s staying power.“Movies transcend. You just hope you can make a film that can last.“So many things happen when you open a movie. I was fortunate to release movies in the 80s and 90s, when movies would stay in the theatre for a year. With Rain Man and Born On The Fourth Of July, these movies would just play and play for a year.Ross Hatt and Tom Cruise in DiggerWarner Bros“How can I make a film that can translate and last and evolve?”Cruise said he believes that Digger is exactly that type of movie.“I never thought of movies, when I'm making them, going 'opening weekend,'" he added.The newly released film is Cruise’s first non-action role in nearly a decade. Cruise, who is almost unrecognisable in heavy prosthetics, plays an oil tycoon who is faced with a global disaster when one of his rigs malfunctions.Alejandro González Iñárritu and Tom Cruise attend the Digger Japan PremiereGettyThe film, directed by Birdman and The Revenant filmmaker Iñárritu, has divided critics, with some calling it “insufferable” whilst others have praised it as “terrific”.On his personal social media, Cruise has called working on the film an “honour” and praised the cast and crew “for your dedication, hard work and joy”.“The experience was truly unforgettable and I’m so proud of what we created.”