English
John Goodman believes negative pre-release criticism effectively doomed Digger before audiences had a chance to see it. The actor made the comments during a recent appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, where he spoke candidly about the film’s disappointing box office performance.
Goodman Blames Early Buzz for Box Office Failure
The film cost more than $160 million to produce. However, it earned only $15 million during its domestic opening weekend. After one month in theaters, Digger has still not crossed $50 million worldwide.
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Goodman pointed directly to early negative headlines as the cause. “People are talking. It hurt. It kinda killed us before we even opened,” he said. “It was good reason for people to avoid it.” Despite the poor reception, Goodman expressed pride in the project. “I had a ball doing it. It was a good six months out of my life. It is a huge swing. It’s going to be around for a long time,” he added.
When asked whether critics still affect him after decades in the industry, Goodman admitted they do. “Unfortunately I have to say that I am. I used to be less so. Maybe I am getting old and pathetic,” he said. “I put so much into this film. I am over it now. I am proud I did it.”
Goodman Draws Comparison to Coen Brothers Films
Goodman also offered some perspective on the situation. He noted that “everything I have done for the Coen Brothers flopped initially.” He added, “So who cares, man? I still have people coming up to me in the streets asking me about Barton Fink and Big Lebowski.”
Digger stars Goodman alongside Tom Cruise and was directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu. Cruise plays an oil tycoon whose Antarctic drilling rig malfunctions, sending ice caps toward Europe. Goodman plays the U.S. president. Critics sharply divided over the film, giving it a 53% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Analysts estimated the film needed around $350 million just to break even. As a result, it now ranks among the most costly studio failures in Hollywood history, with Warner Bros. losing an estimated $250 million.
Celebrities Rally Around the Film
Despite the losses, several high-profile figures publicly defended Digger. Neil Young called it “the best film I have ever seen” on his website. Mandy Patinkin described it as an “instant classic” and “one of the greatest pieces of film I have ever seen in my entire life.” Anne Hathaway, Jane Fonda and Ben Affleck also praised the movie.
Affleck, speaking on his own Happy Sad Confused appearance last month, criticized the public focus on the film’s losses. “If you punish movies that take risks, guess what you’re going to get? A bunch of shitty homogenized movies,” he said. “You cannot do something interesting without taking a big swing. And that means you’re going to sometimes look bad.”
