Alejandro G. Iñárritu admits ‘Digger’ is polarizing after box office flop

Alejandro G. Iñárritu is standing by Digger despite its weak box office opening and largely negative reviews, saying he would rather the film divide audiences than receive a lukewarm response.

Tom Cruise’s dark satire opened in North America on October 2, earning just $8 million from 3,321 theatres, according to Variety. The film added $12 million across 73 international markets, bringing its worldwide opening to $20 million.

The performance comes against a reported production budget of $125 million to $180 million, putting further pressure on the Tom Cruise-led project.

Iñárritu acknowledged that the film’s deliberately provocative approach could prove divisive. “I prefer that to the lukewarm reception,” the filmmaker said in a recent video interview.

The Mexican-born director described Digger as a satire tackling climate change, corporate power and propaganda, with Cruise playing oilman Digger Rockwell, who attempts to prove he is humanity’s saviour before the disaster he has unleashed destroys everything.

Discussing the film’s unconventional tone, Iñárritu said, “We have confused, in my point of view, reality with truth.” He also explained that its heightened performances were designed to reflect a culture driven by attention and discomfort.

The filmmaker first conceived Digger after making 2015’s The Revenantwith the project in development since 2017. He said the film collapsed three times during its long gestation, costing him three years of work.

Despite its reception, Iñárritu remains committed to the project. “The movie is not perfect,” he said, adding, “I like taking risks.”