Anne Hathaway Just Rated Tom Cruise’s Massive Box Office Flop a 10/10—Here Is What Really Happened

Hollywood just witnessed one of the most unexpected box office weekends in recent memory. Tom Cruise’s highly anticipated movie, Digger, suffered a major collapse at the box office, bringing in a tiny $8 million during its domestic opening weekend. That number represents the lowest opening weekend score for the superstar in nearly twenty years.

At the very same time, Anne Hathaway was busy celebrating a massive win at the movie theater. Her new psychological thriller, Verity, easily took the top spot in North America, pulling in $32.6 million in ticket sales. On the surface, it looked like a straightforward story of one big movie winning and another losing.

Then came the twist that left movie fans completely shocked. Instead of ignoring the competition or celebrating her win over Cruise, Hathaway posted a review on Letterboxd. In her first-ever post on the popular movie app, she gave Digger a flawless “10/10” rating.

Her unexpected support for a movie that crashed so hard at the box office quickly went viral. People are now asking why one of the biggest actresses in the world is defending a film that most ticket buyers decided to skip.

The Box Office Disaster: How Digger Failed to Find an Audience

The movie industry expected huge things from Digger. It seemed like a guaranteed recipe for success on paper. The film was directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, the Academy Award-winning filmmaker behind hits like Birdman and The Revenant. It also boasted a stellar cast alongside Tom Cruise, including Jesse Plemons, Sandra Hüller, and Riz Ahmed.

Yet when opening weekend arrived, ticket sales were far lower than anyone predicted. The film earned only $3.4 million on its opening Friday and finished its first three days with just $8 million in North American theaters. Overseas sales were equally soft, bringing in just $12 million globally.

Big Budget, Small Ticket Sales

To understand how bad these numbers are, you have to look at the budget. Reports show that Warner Bros. spent between $125 million and $160 million just to produce the movie. On top of that, studios usually spend tens of millions more on global marketing and promotion.

Industry trade reports from outlets like Hindustan Times Box Office News indicate that Digger needs to make around $300 million globally just to break even. Landing at an $8 million domestic start makes reaching that goal nearly impossible.

This performance marks Cruise’s worst opening since the 2007 political drama Lions for Lambs. However, that older movie was made for a modest $35 million budget. Because Digger cost so much more to create, media outlets like HuffPost UK Entertainment are calling it one of the biggest box office disappointments of the year.

Why Audiences Stayed Away

So why did general audiences skip this movie? The main issue comes down to tone and topic. Digger is a dark, satirical comedy about the global climate crisis. It is a big departure from the explosive action movies that fans normally expect from Tom Cruise, such as the Mission: Impossible or Top Gun franchises.

Early reviews for the film were deeply split. Critics gave it a mixed 51% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Many reviewers called the humor awkward and confusing. Everyday moviegoers who saw it on opening night gave it a low “C+” CinemaScore. Poor word-of-mouth spread across social media fast, convincing casual moviegoers to choose other options over the weekend.

Anne Hathaway’s Huge Win at the Box Office with Verity

While Cruise was struggling to fill seats, Anne Hathaway was busy dominating the box office landscape. She starred in Verity, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling thriller novel. Co-starring Dakota Johnson, the movie pulled in $32.6 million over the exact same weekend.

That means Hathaway’s movie earned over 400% more money than Cruise’s movie in North America. It was a massive win for Amazon MGM Studios and proved that book adaptations are still a huge draw for movie crowds.

Dominating the Weekend Numbers

The contrast between both releases was stark. Verity played to packed theaters across the country, attracting fans of the original book as well as lovers of suspenseful drama. Meanwhile, Digger fell behind other older holdovers, including the third weekend of Resident Evil, which made $12.5 million.

Movie analysts noted that Verity benefited from strong marketing, clear genre appeal, and great star power. Audiences knew exactly what kind of story they were buying tickets to see, which helped drive strong opening weekend sales.

Hathaway’s Incredible Year in Cinema

This latest box office victory capping off an amazing run for Hathaway. According to coverage from Dimsum Daily Entertainment, she reached a rare career milestone by scoring three separate number-one box office movies within a single calendar year.

Earlier in the year, she earned top spots with two major releases: the follow-up to The Devil Wears Prada and the mythological epic The Odyssey. Hitting the top of the charts three times in twelve months is a rare achievement for any modern actor.

The Letterboxd Post That Shocked Film Fans

With Verity standing proudly at number one, most people expected Hathaway to spend the week posting about her film’s success. Instead, she surprised her fans by making her debut on Letterboxd, a popular social network where users rate and review movies.

Her very first review was for Digger. She did not post a moderate score or a polite compliment; she awarded the movie a perfect 10 out of 10 rating.

Anne Hathaway Speaks Out on Digger

In her post, Hathaway praised the ambitious storytelling and boldness of the film. She pointed out that true art should take big risks, even if those risks do not immediately translate into massive ticket sales at the box office.

She praised the performances of the entire cast and highlighted the direction of Alejandro González Iñárritu. By posting her rating so publicly right after the box office results came out, she sent a clear message to the film industry: artistic value should not be judged purely by opening weekend earnings.

High Praise for Alejandro González Iñárritu

Hathaway has long expressed admiration for directors who create challenging, unconventional cinema. Iñárritu is famous for pushing actors out of their comfort zones, as seen in his past Oscar-winning work on Birdman and The Revenant.

By rating Digger so highly, Hathaway reminded audiences that movies can be deeply artistic and worth watching even when they divide critics. Her rating encouraged film fans on Letterboxd to give the movie a fair chance instead of dismissing it as a failure based purely on headlines.

Looking Behind the Scenes: The History Between Cruise and Hathaway

The connection between Tom Cruise and Anne Hathaway goes back further than this weekend’s box office battle. Both actors have been top-tier Hollywood stars for decades, and their paths have crossed behind the scenes in interesting ways.

Back in 2012, Hathaway was originally in talks to star opposite Cruise in the movie musical Rock of Ages. Cruise went on to play rock star Stacee Jaxx in that film. However, Hathaway ultimately decided to step away from that project so she could play Selina Kyle (Catwoman) in Christopher Nolan’s superhero epic The Dark Knight Rises.

Respect Among Big-Screen Royalty

Even though they never shared the screen in that movie, both actors have consistently spoken highly of each other over the years. They belong to a very small group of global movie stars who can still greenlight original, big-budget projects on the strength of their names alone.

That shared background explains why Hathaway was quick to show support for Cruise. When an established star takes a massive creative risk that falls flat commercially, fellow actors often understand the courage it took to make that project happen in the first place.

Is Digger Actually a Hidden Masterpiece?

Whenever a movie with a massive budget and big stars flops hard at the box office, a familiar debate breaks out in film circles. Is the movie genuinely bad, or is it simply ahead of its time and misunderstood by the general public?

Digger attempts to tackle serious real-world issues through dark comedy and absurd humor. That blend is notoriously difficult to pull off. When dark satire works, it can become a classic. When it misses the mark, audiences can feel confused or annoyed.

The Polarizing World of Satire

Many film critics pointed out that Digger feels uneven in its pacing. Some reviewers called it overly long and exhausting to watch, while others praised Cruise for giving a bold, weird performance that felt totally unique compared to his recent action roles.

The mixed reaction was so strong that Warner Bros. actually launched a bizarre ad campaign during release week. The television ads featured negative quote snippets alongside positive ones, telling viewers to “decide for yourself”. That unusual strategy showed that even the studio knew they had a polarizing product on their hands.

Will Digger Become a Cult Classic Later On?

Hollywood history is full of movies that bombed terribly in theaters only to become beloved classics years later. Films like The Big Lebowski, Fight Club, and The Thing were all considered commercial misfires when they first landed in cinemas.

As reported by Flickering Myth Box Office Report, Tom Cruise expressed immense pride in the movie despite the low numbers. He posted on his social media accounts that working alongside the cast and crew was an unforgettable experience and that he stands firmly by the finished product. With high-profile stars like Hathaway championing the film online, Digger may eventually find a dedicated audience once it arrives on streaming platforms.

What This Box Office Shakeup Means for Hollywood

This past weekend offers a fascinating look at the current state of the film industry. It shows that famous actors and huge budgets no longer guarantee automatic box office hits.

Today’s audiences are very selective about what they spend money to see in theaters. They want clear storylines, strong genre appeal, or beloved source material. When a studio spends over $150 million on an experimental satire, the financial risks are extremely high.

Star Power vs Original Content

Tom Cruise remains one of the most bankable stars in cinema history. However, Digger proves that even his massive global fanbase has limits when the movie itself is hard to digest.

On the flip side, Anne Hathaway’s success with Verity shows how powerful the right project can be when paired with the right star. By tapping into a massive book fanbase and delivering a thrilling story, Verity gave audiences a clear reason to visit their local movie theater.

Big Studios Facing Massive Risks

The failure of Digger comes at a tense time for Warner Bros., as the studio navigates major corporate shifts and industry challenges. Large financial losses on original films make studios far more cautious about funding risky projects in the future.

That is why moments like Hathaway’s Letterboxd review matter so much to filmmakers. When artists defend ambitious original movies, they help protect the idea that Hollywood should still take big creative swings, even when those swings do not always pay off at the box office.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much money did Tom Cruise’s Digger make on its opening weekend?

Digger earned approximately $8 million in domestic ticket sales during its opening weekend in North America. Globally, the film pulled in around $20 million.

Which movie beat Digger at the box office?

Anne Hathaway’s psychological thriller Verity took the number one spot at the box office, opening with $32.6 million in North America.

What is Digger about?

Digger is a dark satirical comedy directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. The film stars Tom Cruise and explores themes related to the global climate crisis.

What rating did Anne Hathaway give Digger on Letterboxd?

Anne Hathaway gave Digger a rating of 10 out of 10 in her very first post on Letterboxd, praising the film’s bold artistic direction.

Why did Digger perform poorly at the box office?

The film suffered from mixed reviews from critics, a low “C+” CinemaScore from opening night audiences, and a confusing promotional campaign that made it hard for casual viewers to connect with the story.

The story of Digger and Verity shows how unpredictable the movie world can be. While opening weekend box office numbers tell us what audiences bought tickets for today, reactions from stars like Anne Hathaway remind us that a movie’s true artistic reputation is often decided over a much longer time.

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