Ben Affleck Warns Against Celebrating Box Office Failure of Tom Cruise's Digger, Says It Could Discourage Risk-Taking in Hollywood

Ben Affleck has likened the response to Tom Cruise’s box office flop Digger to "high-school bullying," warning that the celebration of its failure might discourage risk-taking in Hollywood. The film is projected to lose around $250 million by the end of its theatrical run, with Warner Bros. expecting it to gross about $40 million globally.

Its opening weekend brought in a mere $8 million domestically and $12 million internationally, bringing its total to $35.3 million after two weeks in theaters. Industry insiders predict Digger could become one of Hollywood's biggest flops.

Directed by Oscar-winning Alejandro G. Iñárritu, known for Birdman and The Revenant, and starring the legendary Tom Cruise, Digger has received mixed reviews from critics and viewers alike. Despite efforts by some Hollywood stars to defend the film, it seems unlikely to recover from its initial box office disaster. Affleck, appearing on the podcast Happy Sad Confused, argued that celebrating Digger’s failure could lead Hollywood to favor safer options like sequels and adaptations, potentially stifling creativity.

He said, "It's a little bit like the high-school bullying thing," with people who hadn’t seen the movie celebrating its failure. Affleck believes that punishing ambitious films for taking risks could lead to a stream of subpar, unoriginal movies. Despite Digger's low Rotten Tomatoes score of 53% and a more favorable 74% user rating, the film has struggled to gain traction.

IGN rated it a 6/10, noting its satire and excellent performances, but the mixed reception hasn't helped Digger's box office prospects. Tom Cruise has yet to issue an official statement on the matter.