Tom Cruise’s latest movie, Digger, looks poised for another significant setback just a couple of weeks after hitting theaters.
Once promoted as a departure from the blockbuster fare audiences associate with Cruise — think Mission: Impossible and Top Gun — Digger has failed to generate uniformly positive reactions from critics. The film currently sits at 53% on Rotten Tomatoes, reflecting a mixed critical consensus.
On its debut weekend Digger opened in fifth place and to date has earned roughly $38 million at the global box office. Now, social media reporter Luiz Fernando on X reports that the picture is slated to be pulled from 2,535 screens this coming weekend — a reduction that would rank among the largest single-week theater count losses in history, placing it tenth on that list. Before the planned cuts, Box Office Mojo shows the film was playing at 3,321 locations.
Only nine releases have suffered larger weekend theater departures: The Rhythm Section (3,049), Cry Macho (2,780), A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (2,721), The Many Saints of Newark (2,679), The Darkest Minds (2,679), A Cure for Wellness (2,616), Afraid (2,597), The Bride! (2,596) and Copshop (2,580).
In Digger, Cruise portrays the title character — an oil magnate whose decision to drill in Greenland, carried out in conjunction with the U.S. president, triggers a catastrophic global event after the project proceeds despite clear warning signs. The ensemble cast also includes Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons and Emma D’Arcy. Alejandro G. Iñárritu directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay with Alexander Dinelaris Jr., Nicolás Giacobone and Sabina Berman.
Iñárritu’s previous wide theatrical release was The Revenant in 2015, the Leonardo DiCaprio-led survival drama that grossed about $533.5 million worldwide, received strong reviews and won three Academy Awards including Best Director, Best Actor and Best Cinematography. His filmography also features critically noted titles such as Birdman, Biutiful and Babel.
Early Oscar chatter had included Digger, particularly speculation about Cruise’s acting being award-worthy, but that discussion has quieted as the film’s critical reception and ticket sales underwhelmed. It’s still possible the film could earn nominations in technical categories — Best Makeup and Hairstyling has been mentioned as a potential slot — but the full landscape won’t be clear until Academy Award nominations are revealed on January 21, 2027.
Compounding Digger’s troubles, it faces stiff competition at the box office in the weeks ahead. New releases such as Street Fighter, Whalefall and Sense and Sensibility are scheduled to open the coming weekend, followed by Clayface, Wildwood and Wicker the week after. The movie already tumbled to eighth place in its second weekend, posting a roughly 60% decline in ticket sales; losing more than 2,000 screens now would be another heavy blow to its theatrical run.
Ava Thornton is an entertainment journalist with a keen eye for the latest in Hollywood, indie films, and streaming trends.
Her work blends insider knowledge with a deep appreciation for storytelling.
