Warner Bros. Digger ad pits foreign critics' praise against US reviews, then disappears from X
Warner Bros. released an online ad for Tom Cruise's Digger that set praise from critics abroad against negative US reviews. The Independent reports it was later removed from X, after the film's weak opening weekend.
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The story, neutrally told
Left · 2Warner Bros. released an online ad for Digger, Alejandro G. Iñárritu's film starring Tom Cruise, that sets glowing quotes from critics in other countries against negative reviews from US critics. The Hollywood ReporterLC “The online ad (below) shows a series of glowing quotes from critics from various countries and contrasts them with negative reviews from U.S. critics.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ The IndependentLC “juxtaposed negative reviews from American critics against glowing reviews from the rest of the world” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 2The ad opens with Cruise, as Digger Rockwell, saying "America has stood beside the world in its darkest of hours" and Riz Ahmed's character replying "Not anymore." The Hollywood ReporterLC “Tom Cruise as Digger Rockwell says, “America has stood beside the world in its darkest of hours,” to which Riz Ahmed’s character shoots back, “Not anymore.”” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ The IndependentLC “to which Riz Ahmed’s character replies, “Not anymore.”” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 2Each review excerpt carries a flag for the critic's country: a Mexican YouTuber calls the film "Epic, Extraordinary and Biting", The Playlist (American flag) calls it "Grotesque, Deliberately Tacky", a French critic calls it "A Gem of Intelligence", and the New York Post calls it "An Unintentionally Bad Movie". The ad ends with Cruise's character saying "You decide which!" The Hollywood ReporterLC “Later there’s a French critic who calls Digger “A Gem of Intelligence” followed by The New York Post calling it “An Unintentionally Bad Movie.” The ad concludes with Cruise’s character declaring, “You decide which!”” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ The IndependentLC “each accompanied by a flag indicating the critic’s nationality.” Read at The Independent ↗
Left · 2The Hollywood Reporter read the ad as implying that the rest of the world loves the film and Americans fail to appreciate it. The Independent said it appeared to suggest the same. The Hollywood ReporterLC “The sort-of implication: The rest of the world loves this movie — it’s just dumb Americans who fail to appreciate its genius.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ The IndependentLC “appeared to suggest that American critics failed to appreciate the movie” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 2The film is expected to take about $8 million at the domestic weekend box office. The Hollywood Reporter says this is below the studio's own $12-$15 million prediction and far below a $125 million projected budget, while The Independent cites an estimated $180 million budget. The Hollywood ReporterLC “Digger is expected to gross only around $8 million at the domestic weekend box office, which is even lower than the studio’s meager $12-$15 million prediction” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ The IndependentLC “earning a dismal $8 million domestically against an estimated $180 million budget” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 1The Hollywood Reporter checked whether foreign critics really are warmer. Rotten Tomatoes has the film at 50 percent positive, while the French site AlloCiné gives an average press rating of 3.2 out of 5 across 30 reviews. The outlet cautions that the metrics are not directly comparable, and says several top critics in Britain and Australia were notably warm while both countries also had dissenters. The Hollywood ReporterLC “While Rotten Tomatoes has the film at 50 percent positive, French aggregation site AlloCiné currently gives the film an average press rating of 3.2 out of 5 across 30 reviews.”“Several top critics in Britain and Australia were notably warm towards the film, though both countries, certainly, had dissenters as well.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗
Left · 1US audiences gave the film a C+ CinemaScore, which The Hollywood Reporter called "brutal". Cruise posted on social media on Saturday that he was proud of the film and thanked the cast and crew. The Hollywood ReporterLC “The film’s CinemaScore in the U.S. — polled from moviegoers exiting the film on Friday — was a rather brutal C+.”“Digger is officially in theaters and I am so honored to have had the opportunity to create this film alongside such talented artists.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Left · 1The Independent reports that Warner Bros. appears to have deleted the ad, which it says was no longer available on X as of Monday, and that it had contacted the studio for comment. Some X users had reacted in shock before it came down, and one wrote that it was "your patriotic duty" to go and prove the Europeans wrong. The IndependentLC “Warner Bros. appears to have deleted an ad for Tom Cruise’s new film, Digger”“The Independent has contacted Warner Bros. for comment.”“It’s your patriotic duty,” wrote a third.” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 1A second ad from the official Digger account, posted Saturday, remains online. It shows Digger looking at the film's 51 percent Rotten Tomatoes score and two negative reviews, then saying "You know what, f*** those people", with the caption "You decide." The IndependentLC “Another ad shared from the official Digger account Saturday remains online with a similar message.”““You know what, f*** those people,” in the film.” Read at The Independent ↗
Left · 1The Independent notes that it was not among the international outlets that rated the film more favourably than US ones. Its critic Clarisse Loughrey gave two stars, while its writer Jacob Stolworthy, in an early reaction, called it a "big swing". The IndependentLC “The Independent was not among the international publications that looked upon Digger more favorably than its U.S. counterparts.”“In her two-star review, critic Clarisse Loughrey writes”“took a “big swing that grabbed my attention in a big way.”” Read at The Independent ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets treat the ad as a notable and somewhat awkward marketing move for a box-office flop. The Hollywood Reporter leads with the tactic and fact-checks the claim; The Independent leads with the ad's apparent deletion and fan reaction.
- Emphasis
- The Hollywood Reporter stresses the weak box office, the C+ CinemaScore and whether foreign critics are really warmer. The Independent stresses the removal from X, social media reactions and its own critics' reviews.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither reports a Warner Bros. statement on the ad. The Hollywood Reporter does not mention the deletion, and the two give different budget figures.
- Charged language
- “box office bomb”“dumb Americans”“tough-to-sell”“box office flop”“dismal”
- For example
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“A new ad for Alejandro G. Iñárritu's box office bomb shows international critics praising the film compared to their American counterparts.” — The Hollywood Reporter
“Marketing for the new film urged audiences to make up their own minds by watching the film in theaters” — The Independent
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Warner Bros. released an online Digger ad contrasting foreign critics' praise with US critics' negative reviews.
- The ad quotes a Mexican YouTuber, The Playlist, a French critic and the New York Post, and ends with "You decide which!"
- Digger opened to about $8 million domestically.
Where accounts differ
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The film's budget
- Left
- The Hollywood Reporter gives a $125 million projected budget; The Independent gives an estimated $180 million.
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Rotten Tomatoes score
- Left
- The Hollywood Reporter puts it at 50 percent; The Independent says 51 percent.
Tom Cruise person
Cruise, in a Saturday social media post quoted by The Hollywood Reporter, said he was proud of the film and thanked the cast and crew. His character delivers the ad's closing line, "You decide which!"
“The experience was truly unforgettable and I’m so proud of what we created.” — The Hollywood Reporter
“The ad concludes with Cruise’s character declaring, “You decide which!”” — The Hollywood Reporter
Left2 articles
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Tom Cruise’s ‘Digger’ Tries New Marketing Tactic: The French Love It, Americans Don’t
Mixed Wry take on a new marketing push for a struggling film, backed by a check of whether international critics are actually warmer.
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Tom Cruise’s Digger appears to call out American critics who hated the movie after box office flop
Mixed Reports the ad's apparent deletion after the box office flop, with fan reactions and the outlet's own mixed reviews.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 4 Oct 15:29 First The Hollywood ReporterLC Tom Cruise’s ‘Digger’ Tries New Marketing Tactic: The French Love It, Americans Don’t
- 5 Oct 10:47 +19h 17m The IndependentLC Tom Cruise’s Digger appears to call out American critics who hated the movie after box office flop
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.