Tom Cruise is used to being a box-office powerhouse. Throughout his long career, he’s turned everything he’s touched into gold. That was until the release of his most recent film, “Digger.” This is something that the actor has never really experienced before, and according to Heatworld sources, it has Tom at his wits’ end.
Cruise is known for pouring his heart and soul into his films, not to mention going above and beyond and risking his body by coordinating and performing his own stunts. He is hands-on in every aspect of the filmmaking process. Over the years, this has led many to label him a bit of a control freak. But there is one thing that Tom is learning he can’t control. That is fan reception, and this is causing quite a stir for the 64-year-old actor.
‘Digger’ Marks an Unexpected Turn for Tom Cruise
When Tom Cruise began filming ‘Digger,’ he was excited to be playing a different type of role than he has become accustomed to. In the film, Cruise portrays the character of Digger Rockwell, an enormously powerful Texas oil tycoon whose business operations trigger an environmental catastrophe.
The Los Angeles Times writes that the story takes place in a not-too-distant future. Rockwell finds himself scrambling to prove that he is humanity’s savior after the disaster caused by his own oil exploration activities threatens to spiral out of control. The plot has all the makings of a good thriller story: Corporate power and greed, environmental destruction, and climate change, as well as political influence and manipulation.
On paper, the storyline has the ingredients of an intriguing thriller, combining corporate greed, environmental destruction, climate change, political power, and manipulation. However, the finished product proved to be a much tougher sell to moviegoers.
So why did the film fail? Not only was the film extremely over budget, according to Variety, but Tom’s fans just couldn’t get on board with him playing such an unlikeable character in a satirical role. Critics and analysts also pointed to general public resistance toward heavy-handed climate messages from Hollywood, the Spectator adds.
Whatever the combination of factors, “Digger” has delivered a rare commercial disappointment for a performer whose name has long been associated with blockbuster success.
Tom Cruise Reportedly Struggling to Accept ‘Digger’s’ Failure
For someone of Tom Cruise’s Hollywood stature, the feedback has not been easy for him to handle. Cruise has spent decades establishing himself as one of Hollywood’s most reliable leading men. So the disappointing performance of “Digger” appears to be particularly difficult for him to swallow. According to sources cited by Heatworld, the actor is reportedly taking the film’s reception personally.
“Tom poured everything he had into Digger and genuinely believed people would love it, so he’s totally stunned by the numbers,” they shared. The insider added that the 64-year-old was “totally devastated” by the lack of public interest in the movie, after a year where he had already “taken a lot of knocks personally.”
Still, Tom Cruise has built a career on bouncing back from challenges, and one disappointing release doesn’t necessarily mean his Hollywood reign is coming to an end. So while he may be quietly licking his wounds, don’t expect him to stay down for long. The actor already has another major project on the horizon, returning to the racetrack for the upcoming sequel to his 1990 NASCAR hit, “Days of Thunder.”
So after the heartbreak and disappointment Cruise has suffered with ‘Digger,’ you can safely bet that Tom is already working twice as hard. With ‘Days of Thunder 2’ on the horizon, the actor could be gearing up for the comeback his fans are waiting to see.
Joann covers high-profile industry features, investigative entertainment stories, and long-form trending media profiles. She has 15 years of experience in the online news vertical.
