TOM CRUISE'S DIGGER SET TO LOSE $245M AT BOX OFFICE

Tom Cruise's latest film, Digger, is expected to lose around $245m (£185m), according to Hollywood analysts, after a sharp decline in cinema takings. Cruise stars as oil magnate Digger Rockwell in the satirical black comedy, directed by Alejandro G Iñárritu. Ticket sales for the film dropped by around 60% in its second weekend in cinemas. Its global box office total stands at around $35m (£26m) so far. Analysts said the figures put Digger on course to become one of the biggest box office flops in Hollywood history.

Warner Bros is estimated to have spent around $280m (£211m) making and marketing the film. Trade publication Variety said Digger would need around $350m (£264m) to break even, once marketing costs, cinema operators' share of ticket sales and a likely awards season campaign are accounted for. A Warner Bros spokesperson disputed that figure, telling Variety the break-even point was closer to $300m (£227m). Variety projected the film would end its cinema run with around $50m (£38m) worldwide. The film's performance contrasts with recent box office successes for Cruise, including new instalments of the Top Gun and Mission: Impossible franchises. Iñárritu is known for previous films including Birdman, Babel and The Revenant.

Cruise said last week that he had never thought of movies in terms of their opening weekend performance when making them. He said he was instead focused on making films that "hopefully will translate, last and evolve". Digger was the last standalone cinema release from Warner Bros before the studio's takeover by Paramount. Analysts said the film's final losses would depend on its remaining takings and the cost of any awards season campaign.