Tom Cruise backs Digger despite box-office setback
Tom Cruise has defended his latest film Digger after its October 1 release drew mixed reviews and an $8 million opening weekend in North America, saying he is “so proud” of what he and the cast and crew created.
On Sunday, Cruise shared behind-the-scenes images from the Alejandro G. Iñárritu-directed film on Instagram and thanked those involved in its production.
“Digger is officially in theaters and I am so honored to have had the opportunity to create this film alongside such talented artists,” Cruise wrote. “Thank you to the entire cast and crew for your dedication, hard work and joy. The experience was truly unforgettable and I’m so proud of what we created.”
The actor’s comments come after Digger struggled at the box office following a divided critical reception. The film opened in around 3,300 theatres across North America and earned about $8 million over its first weekend.
That marks Cruise’s lowest North American opening weekend since 2007, when Lions for Lambs opened with $6.7 million. That film was made on a reported budget of $35 million and eventually recouped its costs, while Digger has a reported production budget of $125 million.
Warner Bros. has said the film needs to earn around $300 million to recoup its costs.
Digger also faced strong competition from Verity, starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson. Released on the same day, Verity earned $32.6 million in its opening weekend, more than four times Digger’s $8 million.
The other films in the North American top 10 included Resident Evil with $12.5 million, Heart of the Beast with $11 million and Primetime with $8 million.
The film also had a weak opening in international markets, earning about $4 million overseas. In India, where Cruise’s films have previously performed strongly, Digger earned ₹65 lakh net on its opening day, compared with ₹19 crore for his previous film.
‘Digger’ has received mixed reactions from critics. Some reviews have described the film as “brave” and “audacious”, while others have called it a “misfire” or “baffling”. Its Rotten Tomatoes critic approval rating stood at slightly above 50 per cent as of Sunday.
The film is a dark comedy-satire centred on an egotistical oil tycoon whose actions lead to a natural disaster. He then attempts to convince the world that he is the only person capable of saving everyone.
Cruise stars alongside Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Jesse Plemons and Sandra Hüller, with Cruise receiving praise for his performance.
The film represents a return to the type of filmmaker-led projects Cruise worked on earlier in his career, including Rain Man, Born on the Fourth of July and Magnolia, before he became primarily associated with action films through the Mission: Impossible franchise.
Cruise is expected to return to action films with Days of Thunder 2, which is set to begin production.
Despite the film’s commercial difficulties, Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick co-star Glen Powell has also publicly backed Digger.
On Thursday, Powell shared a photograph from the film’s September 28 Los Angeles premiere and praised Cruise and Iñárritu.
“DIGGER!! You rarely get taken on a ride like this in the theater,” Powell wrote. “Visionary spectacle, fearless performances, and getting to experience two of the greats, Tom Cruise and Alejandro Iñárritu, committing ferociously and unapologetically to their vision. Pure cinematic joy. This is one [that] is going to stand the test of time.”
Powell and Cruise have maintained a close friendship since working together on the 2022 blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick. Cruise has publicly supported Powell’s subsequent films, including attending the premiere of his 2024 film Twisters and congratulating him on the release of The Running Man in November 2025.