Warner Bros. Pulls Digger From 2,758 Theaters After Massive Box-Office Drop
Warner Bros. has removed the big-budget political satire film Digger from 2,758 theaters following a disastrous two-week box-office run, according to a report by Collider. Entering its third week, the Tom Cruise vehicle registered one of the largest theater drops in cinema history. The movie cost a reported $180 million to produce and is now poised to lose an estimated $250 million, concluding its domestic run with under $20 million while grossing roughly $40 million worldwide.
How Digger Compares to Historic Box-Office Disasters
Digger joins a small group of wide-release films that suffered catastrophic theater purges in their third week. The political satire is now responsible for the third-largest screen drop in history, according to Collider. It sits behind Blake Lively’s action-thriller The Rhythm Section, which lost 2,955 theaters in week three, and Clint Eastwood’s Cry Macho, which shed 2,780 screens in the same timeframe. Warner Bros. also stripped the movie of key IMAX screens during its second week before pulling it from thousands of traditional locations.
DIGGER is officially in theaters and I am so honored to have had the opportunity to create this film alongside such talented artists. Thank you to the entire cast and crew for your dedication, hard work, and joy. The experience was truly unforgettable and I’m so proud of what we… pic.twitter.com/3YBblCnL3E
Cast and Creative Team Behind the Political Satire
The film opened on October 2, 2026, with a 128-minute runtime. Alejandro González Iñárritu directed the project and co-wrote the script alongside Sabina Berman, Alexander Dinelaris, and Nicolás Giacobone. Iñárritu also produced the feature alongside Mary Parent, Michael Sharp, and Tom Cruise. Beyond Cruise in the lead role, the ensemble cast features John Goodman, Jesse Plemons, Sandra Hüller, Riz Ahmed, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Emma D’Arcy.
Critical Reception and A-List Support Amid Losses
The movie opened to divisive reviews and currently holds a 53% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The site consensus calls the project a stylized satire whose audacious design proves too mannered for some of the laughs to smoothly land,
describing it as a bold swing that misses as often as it strikes gold.
Despite the financial fallout and mixed critical response, the film has drawn vocal support from A-listers including Ben Affleck and Anne Hathaway, putting it on a trajectory toward cult status.
Theatrical Footprint and Future Award Prospects
Despite the massive theater reduction, Digger remains active in approximately 560 theaters nationwide. Industry observers are watching to see if Cruise remains a viable contender for a Best Actor nomination, an achievement that sources note could aid the film’s long-term financial recovery. Whether the production can secure any Academy Award nods remains unknown.
Related reading
- VOLTA 2026 Seminar Hosts Disruptive Public Space Animation Workshop
- From D’Unbelievables to Rory’s Stories: How GAA Comedy Has Evolved
- ‘Red Rising’ Movie in the Works at Paramount With ‘Hunger Games’ Director Francis Lawrence (newsylist.com)
- Crooked House Bill Backed by MPs Seeking Historic Pub Protections (archyde.com)