Tom Cruise is back to the big screen with his first non-Mission: Impossible film in a while, after 2022's Top Gun: Maverick. The superstar's film Digger, directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, had its theatrical release on October 02, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti. Even before the film hit theatres, it started to received mixed reviews from critics and audiences, who have caught its early international previews and premieres. Despite the response, Tom Cruise stood by what he and his team have created for the big screen.
Taking to X on Saturday, the superstar wrote, "Digger is officially in theaters and I am so honored to have had the opportunity to create this film alongside such talented artists. 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."
According to data from Box Office Mojo, the film has earned only $3.4 million at the US box office. On the whole, the approximate Digger box office collection stands at around $10 million worldwide. It is already one of the lowest-grossing Tom Cruise films in the opening weekend. According to reports, the film has been having the lowest start at the US box office after 2007's Lions for Lambs.
Despite the low return and the mixed response, the film has found support from some notable film personalities. For example, director Guillermo del Toro wrote, "Love it or not. And yes, I do. The film delivers in scale, ambition and reach at a theatrical screen level. Daring, bold and cinematically complex. Decidedly a theatrical experience." The Pan's Labyrinth filmmaker also shared that such negativity for a new release is not new, underscoring similar instances with the Coen Brothers directorial venture The Big Lebowski, Martin Scorsese's The King of Comedy, and Ridley Scott's The Counselor.
Further, Tom Cruise's Top Gun: Maverick co-star Glen Powell also appreciated the superstar's latest film. Calling it a "visionary spectacle" and "pure cinematic joy," Powell said that the film would "stand the test of time."