Hollywood Rallies Behind Tom Cruise as ‘Digger’ Becomes One of the Biggest Box Office Flops in Cinema History

Hollywood is coming firmly to the defense of Tom Cruise following a disastrous opening weekend for his latest feature film, “Digger,” which has rapidly escalated into one of the most significant studio box office bombs in movie history. In the week since the ambitious project debuted in theaters domestically to a dismal $8 million, a high-profile wave of industry heavyweights—including Anne Hathaway, Jane Fonda, Guillermo del Toro, Mandy Patinkin, Glen Powell, and others—have taken to social media and digital film platforms to champion the movie, praising its artistic boldness despite its commercial failure.

The outpouring of support highlights a rare moment of solidarity within the entertainment industry, where peers are choosing to celebrate creative risk over commercial metrics. As filmmaker Guillermo del Toro bluntly captured the sentiment in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Love the arts. Fuck the charts.”

The backlash against the film’s poor commercial performance was swift, but the counter-movement led by fellow artists has been equally passionate. Anne Hathaway took to Letterboxd to share her glowing assessment of the feature, writing, “I loved this brilliant movie. It’s smart and trippy and aggressive and funny and ambitious. It’s worth making the time see and decide for yourself what you make of it. For me? 10/10.”

Veteran actor Mandy Patinkin offered even more effusive praise, hailing Cruise’s latest cinematic outing as an “instant classic” and categorizing it among “one of the greatest pieces of film I have ever seen in my entire life.” Patinkin elaborated on his reaction by adding, “This is an incredible piece of work. It puts the heart and soul back into the cinema. Everything we all love about cinema, this is it. Please, please, please, run! Don’t walk, run, and see this film.”

Legendary actress Jane Fonda also added her voice to the chorus of approval, using her Instagram account to encourage both Cruise and director Alejandro G. Iñárritu to “keep being brave.” Fonda noted that the production showcases an entirely different dimension of Cruise’s capabilities as an artist.

“The film allows us to witness another side of Tom Cruise’s courage,” Fonda wrote on Instagram. “It was a big, brave risk for him to take on this role and he was very good in it and very brave. He went all out, 100% owning the part… The film finds an original and, yes, risky way to wake us up about the climate crisis and I hope and pray word of mouth will bring folks into this film because it is far out creatively and closer to the truth than any such film made thus far. Hugs, kisses and bravissimo to all involved.”

The immense financial and critical scrutiny surrounding “Digger” stems in large part from the unique nature of the project and its departure from Cruise’s recent box office juggernauts. Prior to its release, the film was widely publicized as Cruise’s first non-action movie role in nearly a decade. In the film, Cruise stars as Digger Rockwell, an oil tycoon who is suddenly confronted with the impending end of the world after one of his corporate rigs in Antarctica malfunctions catastrophically. The disaster sends massive ice caps hurtling toward Europe and other regions, triggering a global crisis that serves as the backdrop for the narrative.

Upon its release, reviews for “Digger” were sharply divided, creating a stark polarization that likely contributed to general audience confusion. While some critics and cinephiles hailed the movie as a visionary masterpiece, others panned it aggressively, describing it as an insufferable misfire.

According to financial reports, the production budget for “Digger” ultimately mounted to between $160 million and $180 million. When combined with a substantial $100 million global marketing campaign, the film needed to gross approximately $350 million in theaters worldwide simply to break even. However, that financial milestone has proven entirely out of reach following the movie’s meager $20 million global start. Industry analysts indicate that the project is now primed to lose anywhere from $150 million to $200 million during its theatrical run, cementing its status among the most severe financial losses for a major studio release.

Despite the punishing box office numbers and polarizing public reception, Tom Cruise addressed his supporters and the industry directly during the opening weekend of “Digger.” Taking to his personal social media pages, the actor expressed deep gratitude to his collaborators, emphasizing that participating in the film was an honor.

“Thank you to the entire cast and crew for your dedication, hard work and joy,” Cruise wrote. “The experience was truly unforgettable and I’m so proud of what we created.”