Tom Cruise faces his lowest opening weekend in almost two decades.

For the last two decades, Tom Cruise has consistently delivered strong box office performances, with 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick standing out as a major success. However, his latest film, Digger, struggled during its opening weekend, marking the lowest debut for a Cruise film since 2007’s Lions for Lambs.

Reports indicate that Digger earned only $8 million at the domestic box office, a figure that barely surpasses the $6.7 million Lions for Lambs made nearly twenty years ago. With a hefty production budget reportedly exceeding $160 million, it’s clear that Digger didn’t achieve the box office boost that was likely anticipated. The film landed as the fifth highest-grossing movie of the weekend, with the top spot going to the newly released Verity.

It’s not entirely surprising that Digger didn’t ignite the box office, as the film, directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, has proven to be quite polarizing among critics and audiences alike. Without giving too much away, Digger is a subversive film filled with significant twists and lacks any direct comparisons. Given its unconventional nature, it was never going to attract the same broad audience as Top Gun: Maverick, and it may take some time for viewers to fully grasp its themes and decide to see it.

Even a review acknowledges that Digger may not meet the financial or critical benchmarks typically expected of films in this genre, but this might be a positive aspect, considering Iñárritu’s intent to challenge those very standards. Digger illustrates that not every film from a celebrated director and lead actor can replicate the success of something like The Odyssey from July. But when a film is as unique and offbeat as Digger, should we really hold it to the same expectations?

Since Digger didn’t rank among the weekend’s top earners, you might be curious about which films performed better. Here are the top ten highest-grossing films of the weekend: