The film 'Digger', directed by Alejandro G Iñárritu and starring Tom Cruise, has debuted with a global box office of $20 million in its opening weekend. This figure includes $8 million from North American cinemas and $12 million from 74 international markets.
The movie's reported production budget is estimated to be around $150 million, with an additional $100 million allocated for marketing. Critics have largely described 'Digger' as a strained climate change farce, though Tom Cruise's performance was reportedly received more positively by audiences, who gave it a “C+” CinemaScore.
This weak opening coincides with the completion of Paramount Skydance's $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery. The merger received approval from the US district court last Wednesday, and Paramount stated it would close the deal on Tuesday, with mass layoffs anticipated to follow.
Film consultant David A Gross suggested that the new management of the combined Paramount and Warner Bros will need to decide on the types of films they want from Warner Bros, noting that Paramount does not have a recent history of making large, auteur-driven films like 'Digger'.