Hollywood actor John Goodman has opened up about the pain of watching savage critical reviews derail 'Digger', the big-budget film starring Tom Cruise, saying the backlash 'kind of killed us before we opened.' The 74-year-old actor, who plays a fictional United States President in the film, made the remarks on the 'Happy Sad Confused' podcast.

What Goodman Said

Speaking candidly on the podcast, Goodman admitted, 'Yeah, it, uh, it hurt.' He argued that the critical consensus effectively became a 'good reason for people to avoid it,' compounding what was already a difficult theatrical run. Despite the setback, Goodman remained defiant: 'I'm proud of it, and I had a ball doing it. It was a good six months out of my life.'

The Scale of the Box-Office Disappointment

'Digger' has grossed just $50 million against a reported production budget of over $160 million, making it one of the more prominent Hollywood misfires of the year. The film features Tom Cruise, 64, as an oil baron whose drilling operation at a Greenland rig triggers a malfunction threatening Europe — a premise that has split critics sharply.

Goodman's Broader Perspective

Goodman, who admitted he personally likes a 'big-engine car,' described the story as a 'nice wake-up call' about environmental consciousness. He was also quick to draw a historical parallel, noting that the sting of initial failure does not always define a film's legacy. 'I think everything I've done for the Coen brothers flopped, initially, so, who cares?' he said. 'I've still got people running up to me in the streets about Barton Fink, and, naturally, (The Big) Lebowski.'

Industry Voices Defend the Film

Not all reactions have been negative. Acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro, a close friend of 'Digger' director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, took to social media to defend the project, hailing it as 'daring, bold and Cinematically complex.' Del Toro wrote, 'The film delivers in scale, ambition and reach at a theatrical screen level.' His intervention signals that the film retains significant admirers within the industry even as audiences have stayed away.

What Happens Next

Goodman insisted that critical failure at the box office need not be the final word, pointing to the long cult afterlife of his Coen Brothers collaborations as evidence that audiences sometimes catch up with ambitious films over time. Whether 'Digger' follows that trajectory — or becomes a cautionary tale about the limits of star power in a crowded theatrical market — remains to be seen.