Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Digger, starring Tom Cruise, opens tomorrow and while box office projections back in the spring were predicted to be around the $30 million mark, the updated figures are showing that the film may not crack $15 million because audiences don’t seem to be interested in a film where Tom isn’t doing the usual Cruise things and it’s a satire about climate change.

Over the last couple of days, the Digger marketing team seems to have pivoted, releasing a new promo that doubles down on how polarising the reviews have been. I like this approach and I like this edit, the way it opens on the bad reviews and then cutting to Tom in character as Digger saying “f-ck those people”.

I do know some people who have been increasingly intrigued by the opposing views on the movie, to the point where their interest level has gone up, specifically because they want to see where they land on the matter. But I wonder whether or not this approach came too late. I also wonder how the film will age. There are often films that are called box office bombs at launch… and then grow to be appreciated later on once those early expectations have come and gone. For now, though, we’ll have to see what the post-mortem sounds like on Monday/Tuesday once the totals are in and also what impact the Digger box office will have on award season, if it remains a contender.

No matter what happens, naturally, Tom Cruise is still at it. This is what you can rely on where Tom is concerned – he will not be deterred, and he clearly believes deeply in this project, as he does with all his projects, he will metaphorically throw himself off a cliff to support it. Right now he’s in South Korea, where he is always warmly welcomed, on the East Asian leg of the press tour, and he responded by doing aeygo.

Before he left for Seoul though, he made his highly anticipated appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show where, yes, he did the spirit tunnel but also so much more. Let’s start with his tunnel groove though…

Risky Business and “Old Time Rock and Roll”, no surprise there. But as so many people have noted in the comments… it seems like every staff member was there, so JHud and her team really showed up for him. And he took his sweet time because that tunnel looked longer than it’s ever been. That’s why he spent half of it with his back to the camera – but this is also on brand for him, involving everybody else in the process. Tom Cruise has been at this a long time, and apart from a few months in his long, LONG career, he rarely slips up during a performance.

But speaking of those few months over the course of his career, well, it started on a daytime television talk show, with a couch. And one of the most infamous interviews of all time that featured him jumping on said couch, fist pumping with the aggressive enthusiasm of a pro wrestler, and inexplicably getting down on one knee because he was overcome with romance and love…

That happened too on The Jennifer Hudson Show. And for a moment there I was dizzy from gossip déjà vu, although this time Tom was overcome by JHud’s voice – much less controversial but still extra AF.

But if you thought we were done with the dancing… no, baby, never. They threw him a dance party, inspired by when Tom and Debbie Allen went viral last year after the Governors Awards. And Debbie made a cameo… so Tom asked her to “take me there”. And my cringe muscle, well, she started screaming with delight, this is what we were waiting for. Tom running his hands through his hair like it’s a TikTok dance trend. Don’t ask me why he keeps holding on to his arm like a doctor told him to keep it elevated, this is not important. What’s important is that Tom Cruise is present to ENTERTAIN. It’s the only thing he knows how to do. He is the most eager beaver people pleaser in the business.

Tom Cruise at the 'Digger' film press conference, Seoul, South Korea, October 1, 2026

Tom Cruise at the 'Digger' film press conference, Seoul, South Korea, October 1, 2026

Photo credits: Steve Cho Kyewoong/Shutterstock

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