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John Goodman Says ‘Digger’ Was ‘Killed’ by Critics ‘Before We Even Opened’ and ‘It Hurt’
John Goodman says negative pre-release coverage damaged the commercial prospects of *Digger*, which opened to weak ticket sales after critics had already questioned its chances. He remains proud of the film, though he admits that its poor reception hurt after he had invested heavily in the project.
The film, directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu and starring Tom Cruise as an oil tycoon, cost more than $160 million to make and took $15 million domestically in its opening. After a month, it had earned less than $50 million worldwide; it received a 53% Rotten Tomatoes score and reportedly needed about $350 million to break even. Goodman said films he made with the Coen brothers, including *Barton Fink* and *The Big Lebowski*, also initially struggled before finding lasting audiences.
In short
- Goodman says negative pre-release coverage hurt *Digger*.
- The film cost over $160 million and opened with $15 million domestically.
- He remains proud of the film despite its poor reception.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Goodman’s case is that sustained negative coverage before release may have shaped audience expectations and discouraged people from giving Digger a chance, contributing to its weak opening. A disappointing commercial result can also hurt those who invested substantial time and commitment, even when they remain proud of the work; his examples of films later finding audiences suggest opening performance is not the only measure of a film’s value.
The case against
The film’s poor sales cannot be attributed to critics alone: audiences may have stayed away because of the film itself, its marketing, price or competing releases, and the figures given do not establish what caused the result. Critics are entitled to assess a film before release, while the reported budget and break-even estimate make it reasonable to scrutinise whether the project could attract a broad audience.
Explained simply
Digger is a film directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, starring Tom Cruise as an oil tycoon and John Goodman in a supporting role. Its reported production budget was more than $160 million, so it needed to attract a large audience to cover its costs.
Big-budget films are often judged on both ticket sales and reviews, though a poor start does not always determine a film’s longer-term audience. Goodman has pointed to earlier films he made with the Coen brothers, including Barton Fink and The Big Lebowski, which initially struggled but later found lasting audiences.