Guillermo del Toro publicly defends Tom Cruise’s “Digger” after its box-office failure: “Daring, bold and cinematically complex”

Guillermo del Toro has publicly taken up the defence of “Digger”, Tom Cruise’s new film directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, after its disastrous opening weekend at the box office. The Mexican director, a two-time Oscar winner, hit back on X at the press’s mocking headlines about the film, as TheWrap reports.

“Completely wrong headline,” del Toro wrote in a post on Thursday. “Like it or not. And, yes, I like it. The film brings scale, ambition and scope to the level of the cinematic screen. Daring, bold and cinematically complex. Unquestionably a cinematic experience.”

Cruise replied on Saturday, 3 October, sharing behind-the-scenes photos of the production and thanking the cast and crew: “”Digger” is officially in cinemas and I am honoured to have had the opportunity to create this film alongside such talented artists. Thank you to the whole cast and crew for the dedication, hard work and joy. The experience was truly unforgettable and I am proud of what we created.”

Del Toro’s defence comes after “Digger” collected only 3.4 million dollars on Friday, including Thursday’s preview screenings, and headed for an opening weekend of only 7.5 million dollars from 3,321 theatres — Cruise’s weakest opening since 2007’s “Lions for Lambs” — against a budget of at least 125 million dollars, with some reports placing it above 160 million.

The film, with Cruise in the role of oil magnate Digger Rockwell, alongside Riz Ahmed, John Goodman and Sandra Hüller, has long been held as a chance for Cruise’s first Oscar as an actor: he has an honorary Oscar, but never an acting trophy from the Academy. Reviews are divided — 51% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, 71% from audiences and a C+ grade on CinemaScore.