Tom Cruise and Australian actor Sophie Wilde’s “Digger” struggled in its Australian box office debut, opening in eighth place.
The Warner Bros. release opened with just $791,000 over the weekend (Thursday, October 1st – Sunday, October 4th), recording a screen average of $2,362 – the second-lowest average among films in the top 10.
The result follows a mixed reception for Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s climate satire, which Variety described as “bombastically self-important,” while questioning whether the film – which reportedly cost north of US$125 million to make – would connect with audiences.
Ahead of its Australian release, Wilde also spoke with Rolling Stone AU/NZ about working with Cruise, pushing back on his own admission that he can be “intense” on set. “He’s the greatest scene partner in the world,” she said, describing her co-star as “overwhelmingly supportive” and her “biggest champion.”
It was a very different story for “Verity,” starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, which comfortably debuted at No. 1 with $3.54 million. The Amazon/MGM release recorded a screen average of $8,652 and has already grossed $4.31 million including earlier screenings.
“Resident Evil” held onto second place in its third weekend, adding $1.57 million to bring its Australian total to $10.45 million. “Heart of the Beast” remained at No. 3 with $1.51 million, while “Forgotten Island” followed with $1.42 million.
The weekend’s other newcomer, “Drishyam: The Conclusion,” rounded out the top five with an impressive $1.05 million. The Zee Studios release posted a screen average of $12,593, having played on just 83 screens nationally – the highest of any film in the top 10.
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“PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie” landed at No. 6 with $1.01 million, taking its total to $5.67 million. “Coyote vs. Acme” followed at No. 7 with $848,000, narrowly finishing ahead of “Digger.”
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” continued its strong run in ninth place, earning another $703,000 in its 10th weekend. The Sony blockbuster has now amassed $89.32 million at the Australian box office.
The film – which overtook “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” as the highest-grossing US release of all time – is now available to rent or buy. To mark its home release, Variety Australia recently shared an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film, with Tom Holland and the creative team revealing how they transformed the production’s sets to bring New York City to life. Check it out here.
“Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom” rounded out the weekend’s top 10 with $675,000.
Meanwhile, last week’s No. 1, “Avengers Endgame: Encore,” dropped out of the top 10 in its second weekend. The re-release brought in $601,000, taking its Australian total to $4.15 million.