If Tom Cruise's upcoming movie Digger bombs at the box office, will that make it a bad movie? History says not so fast, Hollywood!

In the movie business, there's one number that can make studio executives lose sleep faster than a bad review: the box office total.

Spend hundreds of millions of dollars making and marketing a movie, only to watch audiences stay home, and suddenly everybody wants to know what went wrong. But here's the funny thing about Hollywood: sometimes the movies that struggle to find an audience today become the films people can't stop talking about tomorrow.

A movie can bomb in theaters and still become a cult favorite, a critical darling, or an all-time classic. Just ask the people who spent years discovering movies that Hollywood originally considered disappointments.

Deadline compiled a list of 20 great movies that struggled financially when they were released. Here are 10 highlights that prove a disappointing opening weekend doesn't always mean a disappointing movie.

10 Box Office Flops That Found a Second Life

1. Jennifer's Body (2009)

• Budget: $16 million

• Worldwide box office: $31.6 million

The horror comedy starring Megan Fox didn't become the sensation many expected when it first arrived. Over time, however, it developed a devoted following, with audiences embracing its dark humor and sharp take on teenage relationships. Sometimes a movie just needs the right audience to find it.

2. Donnie Darko (2001)

• Budget: $6 million

• Worldwide box office: $8.6 million

A troubled teenager, a mysterious figure in a rabbit costume, and a story that leaves viewers scratching their heads. Donnie Darko wasn't an immediate commercial success, but it became a cult favorite. It's the kind of movie that practically demands a second viewing, followed by a lengthy argument about what actually happened.

3. Fight Club (1999)

• Budget: $63 million

• Worldwide box office: $102.4 million

Brad Pitt and Edward Norton starred in this dark drama about consumerism, identity, and an underground fight club. Despite its eventual cultural influence, the film didn't deliver the theatrical success expected of a major studio release. Its reputation grew substantially after its initial run.

4. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

• Budget: $25 million

• Worldwide box office: $29.4 million

Today, it's frequently mentioned among the greatest movies ever made. But when The Shawshank Redemption first hit theaters, it struggled to attract a large audience. Word of mouth, home video, and repeated television airings helped turn the prison drama into a beloved classic. Apparently, hope really does have a long shelf life.

5. The Princess Bride (1987)

• Budget: $16 million

• Worldwide box office: $31.1 million

This fantasy adventure blends romance, sword fights, comedy, and unforgettable characters. It didn't become a massive theatrical phenomenon upon release, but generations of fans have since embraced it. It's proof that a great story, a little true love, and a few memorable one-liners can outlast a disappointing box office run.

6. Dune (1984)

• Budget: $40 million

• Worldwide box office: $31.5 million

Before the recent Dune movies became major cinematic events, David Lynch's 1984 adaptation struggled financially and received a mixed response. Its complicated story and ambitious world-building proved challenging for many viewers. Nevertheless, the film developed a following among science-fiction fans and remains a fascinating chapter in the history of the franchise.

7. The Thing (1982)

• Budget: $15 million

• Worldwide box office: $20.9 million

John Carpenter's chilling science-fiction horror movie initially disappointed at the box office. Its grim atmosphere and groundbreaking creature effects weren't enough to win over audiences at the time. Later, fans and critics increasingly recognized it as one of the great horror films, proving that sometimes a movie's reputation improves with age.

8. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

• Budget: $3 million

• Worldwide box office: $2.7 million

Gene Wilder's unforgettable performance as the eccentric candy maker helped create a movie that generations of children would grow up loving. Yet the original film struggled financially during its initial theatrical release. Today, its songs, strange characters, and chocolate-filled fantasy are firmly embedded in pop culture.

9. Mother! (2017)

• Budget: $30 million

• Worldwide box office: $44.5 million

Jennifer Lawrence starred in Darren Aronofsky's unsettling psychological drama, which divided audiences and sparked plenty of debate. Its worldwide box office total exceeded its reported production budget, but marketing costs and theater revenue splits complicate the financial picture. It certainly wasn't a conventional crowd-pleaser, and that's part of what made it such a conversation starter.

10. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

• Budget: $1.2 million

• Worldwide box office: $120.2 million

Here's the ultimate Hollywood comeback story. The musical comedy initially struggled, opening to roughly $135,000 over its first weekend. But midnight screenings, audience participation, costumes, and an enthusiastic cult following transformed it into a cultural phenomenon.

Those decades of screenings eventually helped it generate an enormous cumulative box office total. What began as a theatrical disappointment became one of the most enduring moviegoing traditions around.

And yes, showing up dressed as Dr. Frank-N-Furter is practically a Halloween tradition in some circles.

Other Famous Movies That Initially Struggled

The list also includes several other films that went on to achieve legendary status, including:

• It's a Wonderful Life

• Citizen Kane

• The Big Lebowski

• Blade Runner

• Brazil

That's quite a collection of movies that Hollywood might have judged differently if it had looked only at their original box office results.

So, Does a Box Office Flop Mean a Bad Movie?

Not necessarily.

A movie can struggle because of its release date, marketing, competition, subject matter, or simply because audiences aren't ready for it. Some films are too unusual to find a large audience immediately. Others get rediscovered through streaming, television, home video, or word of mouth.

Of course, not every flop becomes a classic. Plenty of movies disappear from public memory without anyone demanding a sequel. But a disappointing opening weekend isn't a reliable measure of a film's artistic value or long-term popularity.

That brings us back to Tom Cruise and Digger. If the movie underperforms, the box office numbers will tell us how it performed commercially. They won't automatically tell us whether it's worth watching.

Hollywood has a long history of getting the first verdict wrong.

The bottom line: A movie can lose money and still win over audiences for decades. Sometimes the biggest success story begins with an empty theater.

And if Digger does flop, perhaps Tom Cruise can take comfort in knowing that some pretty impressive movies have been in the same boat. Just don't expect the studio accountants to celebrate the news.