Melania Trump’s team is taking a victory lap after the first lady’s documentary outperformed Tom Cruise’s latest movie on a per-theater basis, prompting one of her senior advisers to publicly mock the Hollywood star.
Marc Beckman, a senior adviser to Melania Trump, posted a side-by-side comparison Tuesday highlighting the performance of “MELANIA” against Cruise’s new film “Digger.”
The comparison came after “Digger,” an environmental satire directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, suffered a weak opening weekend despite a massive budget and a wide theatrical release.
Cruise’s film opened in more than 3,000 theaters but brought in just $8 million domestically and approximately $20 million worldwide during its debut.
That performance marked what the source described as the biggest box office disappointment of Cruise’s career.
The movie reportedly cost at least $125 million to produce.
Outside estimates placed the production budget closer to $150 million after delays connected to an injury suffered by co-star John Goodman.
With marketing expenses reportedly approaching another $100 million, potential losses could climb significantly.
The film also received a mixed response from audiences.
Moviegoers gave “Digger” a “C” CinemaScore, while Rotten Tomatoes showed a 51% critics score and a 72% audience rating.
Cruise’s role also marked a major departure from the action-heavy performances that have defined much of his recent career.
In “Digger,” he plays a gray-haired older billionaire in an unusual satire rather than the type of action hero associated with franchises such as “Mission: Impossible.”
The film’s weak performance gave Melania Trump’s team an opening to draw comparisons with her documentary.
Beckman pointed out that “MELANIA” opened in 1,543 fewer theaters than “Digger” but still beat the Cruise film by roughly 67% on a per-theater basis.
The documentary eventually earned $16.7 million overall.
It also recorded the strongest opening weekend for a nonfiction film in a decade, according to the source.
That does not mean the documentary was necessarily profitable.
Amazon reportedly paid $40 million to acquire “MELANIA” and another $35 million to market it.
Still, the film’s theatrical performance exceeded expectations and became a talking point for the first lady’s team.
The comparison was particularly striking because Cruise remains one of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars.
His involvement, combined with Iñárritu’s reputation and the film’s large budget, had initially made “Digger” appear to be a much safer box office bet.
Instead, the movie struggled to connect with audiences.
Box office consultant David A. Gross described the project as an “eccentric story” that failed to generate broader interest.
Meanwhile, the success of “MELANIA” also helped revive the career of its director, Brett Ratner.
Ratner had largely disappeared from Hollywood following sexual misconduct allegations during the #MeToo era, per The Independent.
Following the documentary’s stronger-than-expected performance, he is now set to direct another installment in the “Rush Hour” franchise.
President Donald Trump had publicly supported the idea of reviving that series.
The weekend’s overall box office winner, however, was neither Cruise nor Melania.
Amazon MGM’s psychological thriller “Verity” opened with $33 million, powered largely by female audiences interested in the Colleen Hoover adaptation.
Still, the headline-grabbing rivalry centered on the unexpected comparison between a first lady’s documentary and one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
For Melania Trump’s team, the numbers were enough to celebrate publicly.
For Cruise, “Digger” now stands as a rare and costly setback in an otherwise blockbuster-heavy career.
