[REVISION HISTORY]

Financial failure and reception of Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s ‘

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2026-10-27 08:01 UTC → 2026-10-29 21:51 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The reception for Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s ‘Digger’ remains deeply divided. The dark satirical comedy, featuring Tom Cruise as eccentric oil tycoon Digger Rockwell, continues to draw polarized reviews. While some critics hail the film as a ‘masterpiece’ or ‘visually inventive,’ others have dismissed it as ‘pretentious,’ ‘messy,’ or ‘unbearable.’ Critical metrics reflect this split, with the film’s Rotten Tomatoes score fluctuating around 51% to 53% and a C+ CinemaScore. Metacritic scores have also been noted at 46 out of 100. Financial performance has deteriorated significantly. Despite a star-studded cast including John Goodman, Riz Ahmed, and Sandra Hüller, the film has struggled at the box office. While production costs were estimated between $160 million and $180 million due to scheduling overruns, supplemented by $100 million in global marketing, the film earned only approximately $8 million domestically during its opening weekend. Following its October 2026 release, the film earned approximately $14.4 million in North America and $35.3 million globally. ~~With total~~ By its third week, global ~~revenue projected~~ earnings reached approximately $46 million. Analysts suggest the film needs approximately $400 million worldwide to ~~reach only $50 million,~~ break even, leaving Warner Bros. is on track for an estimated loss of $245 million. This situation is exacerbated by contractual agreements granting the lead actor a share of early revenues and occurs amidst the studio’s transition as it is absorbed by Paramount Skydance. While the film faces financial hardship, it has garnered high-profile support. Musician Neil Young called it ‘the best film I have ever seen,’ ~~arguing it is an artful reflection of political~~ and ~~social realities. Actress Anne Hathaway described it as ‘smart, trippy, aggressive, funny and ambitious,’ awarding it a perfect 10/10 on Letterboxd.~~ filmmaker Denis Villeneuve praised its ambition. Actor Ben Affleck also defended the ~~project on the ‘Happy Sad Confused’ podcast,~~ project, warning that celebrating such a ‘big swing’ could discourage creative ~~risks and comparing the backlash to ‘high school bullying.’~~ risks.

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