A Career-Low Opening for Cruise
Warner Bros.' 'Digger' is filing an $8 million opening, the lowest for Tom Cruise since 2007's 'Lions for Lambs' opened to $6.7 million. The Alejandro G. Iñárritu-directed film, a heavy dialogue-driven political absurdist satire, cost over $160 million to produce. Despite the low opening, it received a C+ CinemaScore, which is better than some of Cruise's other divisive films like 'Eyes Wide Shut' (D-) and 'Mother!' (F). The film's Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 71% matches that of Ari Aster's 'Beau Is Afraid.'[S1]
The audience for 'Digger' was 60% between ages 18-34 and 73% male, aligning with Iñárritu's stated intention to make the film for Gen Z. Imax and PLFs contributed nearly half of the gross, with AMC Lincoln Square as the top venue at $45K. The film is playing strictly on the coasts, which represent 48% of its cash versus the regional average of 40%. Word of mouth fell from an 8.1 on RelishMix on Sept. 15 to a 6.4 earlier this week, with mixed-negative chatter citing skepticism about the film's execution and tonal identity.[S1]
'Verity' Defies CinemaScore to Lead
Amazon MGM Studios' 'Verity,' based on Colleen Hoover's novel, is posting a $33.6 million opening after a better-than-expected Friday of $15.1 million. This is the second-best opening for a Hoover novel adaptation, following 'It Ends With Us.' The film received a C+ CinemaScore, the worst for a Hoover adaptation so far, but the 79% female turnout gave it a 50% definite recommend on PostTrak exits. PLFs are repping 28% of the weekend sans Imax, and AMC Lincoln Square is the top grossing venue with over $36K through Friday.[S1]
The Economics of Original Theatrical Gambles
The release of 'Digger' highlights the financial risk studios take on original, auteur-driven films. While streamers like Netflix and Apple can spend over $100 million on movies with zero box office gross, traditional studios are vilified when such gambles fail. Warner Bros.' administration of Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy attempted something unseen with 'Digger,' similar in spirit to other ballsy projects like 'Sinners' and 'One Battle After Another.' However, the film's twist—marketed as a western apocalyptic comedy but actually meta—may confuse audiences, and satire has historically performed poorly at the box office, as seen with 'Bob Roberts' ($4.4M) and 'The Informant' ($10.4M opening).[S1]
