Tom CruiseThe “Digger” is drawing mixed reviews after its disappointing theatrical debut. While influencers and Hollywood heavyweights have praised the film, its box office numbers tell a different story.
Despite its big budget, the satire earned just $20 million worldwide in its opening weekend.
Critics Call Tom Cruise’s ‘Digger’ A ‘Masterpiece’ Despite Box Office Defects
Some influencers are already predicting big things for Tom Cruise’s “Digger”, despite its box office debut.
According to Page Six, several people online who got early access to the film have offered enthusiastic assessments of the work of Cruise and director Alejandro González Iñárritu.
One host of the “Raiders of the Lost Podcast,” which has more than 578,000 TikTok followers, predicted that “Digger” will become “probably the most important movie of the 21st century.”
“Not to be hyperbolic,” he said before predicting that Cruise will win an Oscar for the act.
Other hitters were just as good. One described Cruise’s performance as one of the best in his career, while another praised the actor’s work as “amazing”.
‘Digger’ fails to strike box office gold despite its Hollywood lineage
However, the enthusiastic comments from influencers did little to translate into ticket sales. Despite the big budget and major Hollywood names attached, “Digger” struggled to make an impact on its opening weekend, earning just $8 million in the US and Canada.
Its overseas performance did little to improve the picture, with another $12 million coming from 74 international markets. That left the film with just $20 million worldwide in its opening weekend.
These numbers are particularly worrying given the reported cost of the film. “Digger” had a production budget of at least $125 million, with some insiders putting it closer to $150 million. It is also believed that Warner Bros. spent the same amount on marketing, further increasing the studio’s potential losses.
Tom Cruise stands tall behind ‘Digger’ as ticket sales fall short
While “Digger” has struggled commercially, Cruise has given no indication that his disappointing opening has diminished his pride in the project.
After the film premiered, the actor told X that he was “honored” to work on the project and thanked his cast and crew.
“I am honored to have had the opportunity to create this film with talented artists.
He said, “The experience was truly unforgettable, and I’m so proud of what we created.”
Tom Cruise pushed the limits of prosthetics to become ‘Digger’ Rockwell
Cruise’s pride in the project comes after an elaborate physical transformation to portray billionaire oil tycoon Digger Rockwell.
During an appearance on the “New Heights” podcast, the actor revealed that the prosthetics and heavy makeup took about six hours to install. Deciding to speed up the process, Cruise worked closely with the makeup team to cut the set-up time to less than an hour.
“If you say no, you can’t do it, you’ll never get there,” Cruise recalled telling the team after being told the goal was impossible.
Tom Cruise’s ‘Digger’ Gets Oscar-Winning Defense Amid Box Office Criticism
Influencers aren’t the only ones behind “Digger.” Some of Hollywood’s most respected filmmakers have also defended the film after its disappointing theatrical debut.
Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro pushed back against the negative talk about the film, criticizing what he described as a “small” cover of his achievement. He also praised Iñárritu’s project for its “ambition” and “scale,” arguing that it delivers a theatrical experience of the highest order.
Mexican filmmaker and Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón also expressed his support for Iñárritu. He pointed to films like “Blade Runner” and “2001: A Space Odyssey,” which were not universally accepted upon release but were later reimagined as masterpieces of cinema.