Tom Cruise Movie Opens as Warner Bros. Chiefs Exit

Key Points:

• Tom Cruise's film "Digger" opened with $1.2 million from Thursday previews and is projected to earn $12 million to $15 million domestically, despite its $125 million production budget and mixed critical reception.
• Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, "Digger" is a departure from Cruise's recent action roles, focusing on a satirical story about an oil tycoon facing a natural disaster, with co-stars Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, and Sandra Hüller.
• Warner Bros. positions "Digger" as an awards contender, hoping for strong word-of-mouth, but the film currently holds a 52% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has received lukewarm reviews.
• The release coincides with significant changes at Warner Bros., as film chiefs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy exit ahead of the upcoming Paramount Skydance merger, with new leadership expected to oversee the film divisions.
• Amazon MGM Studios’ thriller "Verity," based on Colleen Hoover’s novel and starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, is expected to top the box office with a projected $27 million to $30 million opening, following a strong $4.5 million from Thursday previews.