Tom Cruise's 'Digger' Faces Worst Box Office Bomb Ever with Projected Losses of 324.7 Billion Won

The movie 'Digger', which drew massive attention for bringing together Hollywood superstar actor Tom Cruise and Academy Award-winning master director Alejandro González Iñárritu, is on course to become a historic box office failure.

Citing industry sources on October 11, U.S. media outlet Variety reported that "'Digger' saw its second-weekend box office earnings plunge by 60 percent. It is projected to incur theater losses of about $245 million (approximately 324.7 billion won). Not only is it shaping up to be the worst box office bomb of the year, but it also has the potential to rank among the worst box office failures of all time."

'Digger' opened in North America on October 2, grossing $8 million in North America and $20 million worldwide during its opening weekend. At the time, distributor Warner Bros. estimated theatrical box office losses between $150 million and $200 million. However, with ticket sales tumbling 60 percent in its second weekend, its cumulative North American earnings stood at just $14.4 million, with worldwide revenue reaching only $35.3 million.

Variety reported, "The final worldwide box office earnings for 'Digger' are expected to stall at around $50 million. Because theaters take roughly half of ticket sales revenue, the film needs to gross $350 million worldwide to break even. However, a Warner Bros. spokesperson disputed this estimate, claiming the break-even point is $300 million." Whether the break-even point is $300 million or $350 million, current figures strongly suggest it is headed for a massive disaster.

Warner Bros. announced the production budget for 'Digger' was $125 million, but costs reportedly surged to between $160 million and $180 million due to extended filming periods. Marketing expenses are also known to have reached $100 million.

'Digger' tells the story of an eccentric, grumpy tycoon named Digger Rockwell, whose minor crack at a Greenland glacier drilling facility spirals into an unprecedented catastrophe threatening the entire globe. Blending theatrical and cinematic styles with a bold transformation by Tom Cruise, the satirical film polarized audiences from its release due to its somewhat excessive elements.

Tom Cruise, who stars in the film, visited South Korea on October 1 to coincide with its domestic release. However, the "Tom Uncle effect" failed to materialize this time. The film is heading toward a box office flop in South Korea as well, struggling to draw just 70,000 moviegoers.


※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.