Tom Cruise Film "Digger" Faces Critical Backlash and Dire Box Office Predictions

Tom Cruise's new film, "Digger," a politically charged black comedy, is facing significant critical headwinds and is projected for a weak box office performance, a rare misstep for the A-list actor.

The film, which was anticipated as a major awards contender for Cruise, currently holds a "rotten" rating of 53% on Rotten Tomatoes. The Boston Globe described "Digger" as a "turgid, unfunny, and borderline unwatchable 128 minute mess," while Den of Geek noted that the film "forgets the statement must still work as anything more than a self-flagellating valediction from a movie star."

However, some outlets offered more positive assessments. Collider praised Cruise's "bizarre but brilliant performance," and the Daily Mail's own Brian Viner awarded the film four out of five stars.

Despite mixed critical reception, box office projections for "Digger," which reportedly cost over $125 million to produce, are bleak. World of Reel suggests the film might open with less than $10 million, while Box Office Theory predicts a range between $16 million and $26 million. Even at the higher end, these figures are considered disastrous for a film intended as an Oscar hopeful.

Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, "Digger" stars Cruise as eccentric oil tycoon Digger Rockwell, who attempts to rectify a catastrophic ecological disaster he inadvertently caused. The film also features John Goodman as the U.S. President and is intended as a satire on climate issues and corporate greed.

"Digger" marks a departure from Cruise's typical action-focused blockbusters, such as the "Mission Impossible" franchise and the critically acclaimed "Top Gun: Maverick." This is one of the few awards-focused films the actor has starred in over the past three decades. Cruise has been actively promoting "Digger," appearing on the cover of GQ and guesting on "Good Morning America" and "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."