2026 has been a banner year for blockbusters, with hits like The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day dominating the charts. But not every big-budget gamble paid off. While Supergirl and Masters of the Universe each lost significant money, one film has soared past them to become the year's—and possibly the decade's—biggest disaster. That film is Digger, Tom Cruise's ambitious R-rated political satire, which has now been pulled from virtually all of its 3,300 theaters.
Directed by two-time Oscar winner Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Digger was envisioned as a tribute to Cruise's legendary career, complete with a trailer featuring a sizzle reel of his greatest hits. The goal was to finally land the iconic star his first acting Oscar. But the film's divisive reviews and poor audience reception derailed those plans almost immediately.
The movie debuted to a dismal $8 million at the domestic box office, a catastrophic opening for a $180 million production. By the end of its first weekend, reports surfaced that Warner Bros. executives Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca were on the hot seat, with the studio projected to lose a staggering $250 million on the project.
Over the past six weeks, Digger's theater count has shrunk from 3,321 to just 48, and its worldwide gross has stalled at $50 million. That's a far cry from the performance of last year's One Battle After Another, which grossed $213 million worldwide and went on to win Best Picture—a comparison that only underscores how far Digger fell short.
The film's critical reception was lukewarm at best. It currently holds a 52% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus noting that its "audacious design proves too mannered for some of the laughs to smoothly land." Despite a star-studded cast including John Goodman, Riz Ahmed, and Jesse Plemons, the satire failed to connect with audiences.
In an attempt to salvage the release, Warner Bros. shifted its marketing strategy to highlight the conversation the film was sparking, but the move didn't resonate. The film's failure has become a cautionary tale about the risks of blending arthouse sensibilities with tentpole budgets.
For Cruise, who has enjoyed a string of hits with franchises like Mission: Impossible, Digger marks a rare misstep. Interestingly, one of his earlier films, The Mummy, also found new life on streaming after a disappointing theatrical run—though that film at least managed to gross over $400 million worldwide.
As Digger fades from theaters, it leaves behind a legacy as one of the biggest box office bombs in history. Whether it will find redemption on streaming platforms remains to be seen, but for now, it stands as a stark reminder that even the biggest stars can't guarantee a hit.
