Warner Bros. 'Digger' Collapses as 'Verity' Leads Box Office Amid Paramount Merger

Key points

• Warner Bros.' 'Digger' grossed $8 million domestically and $12 million internationally, a massive failure for a film with a production budget estimated between $125 million and $180 million.
• The film's poor performance coincides with the final approval of the $110 billion Paramount Skydance acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, which is set to close on Tuesday.
• Amazon MGM's 'Verity' debuted at No. 1 with $32.6 million, extending the box office success of Colleen Hoover adaptations.
• Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group co-chairs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy are expected to depart the studio this week, followed by anticipated mass layoffs.
• Critics and audiences largely rejected 'Digger,' with Rotten Tomatoes reporting a 51% score and audiences giving it a 'C+' CinemaScore, though Tom Cruise's performance received mixed praise.

Background

Warner Bros. has struggled in 2026, failing to release a single film that crossed the $100 million domestic threshold, aside from the upcoming 'Dune: Part III.' The studio previously attempted a similar high-budget, auteur-driven strategy with 'One Battle After Another' in 2025, which succeeded both commercially and at the Academy Awards. 'Digger' was positioned as a potential awards heavyweight but failed to replicate that success.

How outlets are covering it

Outlets agree on the financial disaster of 'Digger' but differ on the extent of the budget overrun. ABC News cites a production budget of at least $125 million, while Variety reports figures as high as $180 million after production delays. Film consultant David A. Gross, cited by ABC News, argues that the failure signals the end of Paramount's interest in big, auteur-driven films, noting the new management's lack of history with such projects. Variety highlights that despite Cruise's extensive promotional efforts, including a GQ cover and podcast appearances, the film could not overcome negative reviews. The Fort Worth Report offers a more nuanced critical view, praising Cruise's performance and the film's eventual coherence despite a confusing first act, contrasting with the broader industry consensus of failure.

Why it matters

The failure of 'Digger' serves as a final, bitter note for Warner Bros. as a standalone studio, occurring just days before the Paramount merger closes. It underscores a potential shift in Hollywood strategy away from high-risk, auteur-driven projects under new ownership, and marks a significant career low for Tom Cruise, whose last major box office disappointment was 'The Mummy' in 2017.

What to watch

Paramount Skydance is scheduled to close its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery on Tuesday. New leadership, including David Ellison and Josh Greenstein, is expected to decide the future direction of Warner Bros. films. Mass layoffs at Warner Bros. are anticipated to follow the departure of current co-chairs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy this week.