Ben Affleck is pushing back against the glee surrounding the commercial failure of Tom Cruise’s latest film, Digger. Comparing the critical backlash to “high-school bullying,” the actor-director warns that mocking ambitious projects will only force Hollywood to double down on safe, uninspired sequels and established IP.
Digger, directed by Oscar-winner Alejandro G. Iñárritu, is tracking to become one of the biggest flops in history, with projected losses hitting $250 million. Affleck cautioned that if the industry continues to punish creators for taking creative risks, audiences should expect a future filled with nothing but “homogenized” content.