Tom Cruise, Hollywood's most reliable action star for the past two decades, is facing an unexpected box office disaster. His latest film "Digger," a satirical black comedy directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, is struggling badly in its opening weekend, with posts circulating on Bluesky reporting numbers that range from a catastrophic $8 million domestic opening to a still-disappointing $20 million global total.

The discrepancy in reported figures suggests the full damage is still being tallied, but either way, the consensus is clear: this is a major stumble for the star who has reliably delivered with the "Mission: Impossible" franchise and "Top Gun: Maverick."

The Numbers Tell a Grim Story

Multiple entertainment outlets posting on Bluesky are calling this Cruise's worst opening in 19 years — dating back to 2007. The Hollywood Reporter's account noted that "Tom Cruise's big-budget Digger finds itself in quite a hole with its opening weekend at the box office," while Deadline reported "'Verity' is No. 1 with $32M, but 'Digger' at $10M is Tom Cruise's lowest opening in 19 years."

IGN's account put the global figure higher, stating "Tom Cruise's Digger bombed hard in theaters, pulling in an estimated $20 million in its opening weekend at the global box office." Meanwhile, other posts suggest the domestic number may be even lower, with user @thebihashira.bsky.social commenting "Oof 8 million opening weekend is ROUGH."

What makes these figures particularly alarming is the film's reported budget. Posts claim "Digger" cost between $160-170 million to produce, making even a $20 million global opening a potential financial catastrophe for Warner Bros.

When Colleen Hoover Beats Tom Cruise

Perhaps the most striking commentary came from user @joshsewell.bsky.social, who observed: "Welcome to Hollywood in 2026, where Colleen Hoover is a more bankable name than Tom Cruise."

The reference is to "Verity," an adaptation of Hoover's psychological thriller starring Anne Hathaway, which posts indicate opened at number one with an estimated $32 million. User @gregoryellwood.bsky.social noted that "Verity gives Anne Hathaway another box office winner as Digger takes in just $20 million worldwide for Tom Cruise's worst opening since 2007."

The comparison highlights a fascinating shift in theatrical economics. While Cruise has spent years championing the theatrical experience and delivering massive hits, a book-to-screen adaptation from a bestselling romance author appears to have significantly outperformed his latest swing for the fences.

Audiences Weren't Sold on Either Film

One detail that adds context to the weekend comes from user @lindaholmes.bsky.social, who pointed out audience reception scores: "According to Deadline, audiences who actually went to both DIGGER and VERITY didn't like them all that much (both C+ CinemaScores), but a lot more people seem to have gambled on VERITY."

This suggests "Digger" didn't just fail to connect with audiences who saw it — it failed to get them into theaters in the first place. The film is described in posts as a "satirical black comedy" from Iñárritu, a significant departure from Cruise's typical action fare. The Hollywood Reporter's account noted it was "a big swing" that "did not pay off."

Political Framing Enters the Discussion

Some posts attempted to frame the film's failure through a political lens. One account described it as a "$160 Million Climate Propaganda Film," though this characterization appears to be commentary rather than confirmed plot details from the posts.

What's clear from the broader discussion is that "Digger" represented an ambitious creative risk — a big-budget collaboration between one of Hollywood's biggest stars and an acclaimed auteur director known for serious, artistic films like "Birdman" and "The Revenant."

What This Means for Star Power

The "Digger" debacle raises questions about the state of movie stardom in 2026. Cruise has been one of the few actors whose name alone could still draw audiences, particularly after "Top Gun: Maverick" became a cultural phenomenon and billion-dollar hit.

But this weekend's results suggest that star power has its limits, especially when the material strays too far from audience expectations. A satirical black comedy, no matter how big the budget or how famous the star, apparently couldn't overcome audience skepticism in an era where theatrical tickets are expensive and streaming options are abundant.

The Spanish-language post from @jonatansark.bsky.social drew a comparison to "Supergirl," another big-budget film that underperformed, noting both had $170 million budgets but vastly different opening weekends. The comparison suggests "Digger" may be part of a broader trend of expensive original films struggling to find audiences.

The Road Ahead

For Warner Bros., the posts suggest this could be a significant financial loss. With a reported production budget of $160-170 million and an opening weekend in the single or low double digits, the studio faces an uphill battle to recoup its investment, even with international markets and eventual streaming revenue.

For Cruise, this represents a rare misstep in a career that has been remarkably consistent at the box office over the past decade. Whether this affects his future project choices or his ability to greenlight passion projects remains to be seen, but one weekend's worth of disappointing numbers doesn't erase decades of proven box office appeal.

What it does prove, according to the online conversation, is that in 2026, even Tom Cruise can't overcome a fundamental mismatch between what a film offers and what audiences want to see in theaters. Sometimes, the hole is too deep to climb out of — even for Hollywood's most durable action star.