Tom Cruise's newest film, "Digger," an apocalyptic satire directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, is facing a disappointing box office debut. The movie, in which Cruise plays an oil baron grappling with an ecological crisis, earned only $1.2 million in Thursday previews before expanding to 3,321 theaters across North America on Friday. Initial industry forecasts had estimated an opening weekend between $20 million and $30 million, but recent predictions have dropped significantly. By Friday night, trade outlet Deadline projected "Digger" to open around $10 million, marking the lowest opening weekend for a Cruise film since 2007’s "Lions for Lambs," which made $6 million.

The production of “Digger” was a major financial undertaking for Warner Bros., with the film originally greenlit at $125 million but reportedly costing between $160 million and $180 million due to schedule overruns. Warner Bros. also spent approximately $100 million on prints and advertising. This high budget contrasts sharply with "Lions for Lambs," which had a much smaller production budget of about $35 million before marketing costs. Given this financial scale, "Digger’s" projected underperformance at the box office signals considerable challenges in recouping costs.

Meanwhile, the box office landscape this weekend is being led by Anne Hathaway’s thriller "Verity," adapted from Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel. Directed by Zach Cregger and starring Hathaway along with Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett, "Verity" is expected to gross $33.6 million from 3,510 theaters. The film follows a ghostwriter uncovering sinister truths about her subject, and with a production budget around $40 million prior to marketing, it is poised for a strong opening. Sony’s horror-comedy “Resident Evil” and Brad Pitt’s survival thriller “The Heart of the Beast” are projected to take the second and third spots respectively.

Other new releases, including Robert Pattinson’s investigative crime drama “Primetime,” are expected to have moderate success, with "Primetime" forecasted to earn $7.6 million. Overall, the weekend’s trends so far suggest a tough market for "Digger" amid stiff competition from other films with potentially clearer audience appeal. Final box office numbers will be confirmed on Monday, but early indicators show Tom Cruise’s latest venture struggling to connect with moviegoers despite its high-profile cast and director.