Guillermo del Toro defends 'Digger' amid mixed reviews

Guillermo del Toro defends 'Digger' after mixed reviews, praising its scale and theatrical experience

Guillermo del Toro has defended Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Digger ahead of its theatrical release, praising the film’s scale and cinematic approach despite mixed reviews and a modest opening day at the box office.

The director took to X to respond to criticism of the Warner Bros. R-rated black comedy, which stars Tom Cruise. “Entirely Petty headline,” 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.”

Del Toro also reposted positive reactions to Digger, including comments praising Cruise’s performance. “Funny, I go into the platform and without even scrolling down, these are popping at the top of my timeline…” he wrote. “So… I will just keep posting them. Tune in or drop out—”

In another post, del Toro wrote, “Dig or Die – c'mon!”

The filmmaker also compared the film’s negative reviews with the initial reception of The Big Lebowski, The King of Comedy and The Counselor. “I remember the review for BIG LEBOWSKI and KING OF COMEDY and a few more… to me (I know it is still not accepted) THE COUNSELOR and all the ones in your list.”

Digger currently has a 51% score on Rotten Tomatoes, according to the supplied material. Variety chief film critic Owen Gleiberman criticised the film’s comedy and scale in his review.

The film earned $3.4 million domestically on Friday, with opening-weekend estimates of $7.5 million. The figures followed negative reviews and divided reactions ahead of its release.