Digger opens with $8 million in the US and $20 million worldwide

Digger, the satire by Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu starring Tom Cruise, earned about $8 million during its first weekend in the United States and Canada (Oct. 2-4), in 3,321 theaters, according to Yahoo Entertainment. Abroad it added about $12 million in 74 markets, putting the worldwide total near $20 million, according to AP and TheWrap. These are studio estimates from Sunday: actual figures come out Monday and could move the $8 million.

Verity, from Amazon MGM Studios, won the weekend with $32.6 million in 3,510 theaters, according to AP. Yahoo places Digger in fifth. On Saturday, El Mediático reported $3.4 million for Friday and a projection of $7.5 million to $10 million for the weekend: the result landed at the low end.

TheWrap and Mundiario describe it as Cruise's lowest opening since Lions for Lambs, in 2007. According to TheWrap, the film has a 51% approval rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes and 70% among audiences, plus a C+ CinemaScore.

What it cost

Sources disagree. AP puts the production budget at $125 million to $150 million, while Yahoo and Mundiario say $160 million to $180 million. AP and Yahoo add about $100 million more in marketing. No source quotes Warner Bros., and according to Yahoo the studio needed a start near $40 million.

Paramount Skydance is closing its purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery this week, a $110 billion deal, according to AP. Film consultant David A. Gross told AP that Paramount's strategy of making auteur films of this size "appears to be over."

Cruise posted on social media that he is "so honored" to have created the film with "such talented artists," according to TheWrap, which does not link the original post.

In Mexico, the film opened on Oct. 1 under the Garantía Cinépolis seal, according to Cinemedios. There is still no local box office figure.