Tom Cruise film ‘Digger’ faces projected $245 million loss

“Digger,” starring Tom Cruise and directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, is a dark comedy about an oil tycoon whose company risks causing an environmental disaster.

The film’s ticket sales fell 60% in its second weekend, reaching $14.4 million in the United States and $35.3 million worldwide so far.

Warner Bros.

now faces a projected loss of as much as $245 million, compared with its earlier estimate of $150 million to $200 million.

The film is expected to finish its run with about $50 million in worldwide ticket sales.

Estimates differ on how much it needed to earn to cover costs: one puts the break-even point at $300 million, while another puts it at $350 million.

Production costs rose from an initial $125 million budget to between $160 million and $180 million, and marketing added another $100 million.

Support from well-known figures and social media ads have not led to a significant box office recovery, while the film’s awards campaign may be scaled back.

The weak performance adds to a difficult year for Warner Bros., as the studio approaches its merger with Paramount and Skydance.