Ben Affleck Defends Tom Cruise's Digger Amid Box Office Disappointment
Ben Affleck has defended Tom Cruise's latest film, Digger, which experienced the actor's weakest domestic opening in 19 years. Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Affleck criticized those celebrating the film's box office failure, likening it to high school bullying. He warned that punishing experimental films could lead to a homogenized industry lacking creativity. Digger, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, explores themes like corporate greed and climate change, featuring Cruise as an eccentric oil magnate.
First-hand measurement across 2 sources
We measured how 2 outlets covered this story. No outlet gave this story a measurable political slant — there is no left–right reading to report. Overall sentiment is neutral (54/100). Lens Score 29/100.
Outlets measured: moneycontrol, hindustantimes. See how each one headlined and framed the same story in the source comparison below.
AI Analysis
Sentiment was consistent across outlets (52–57/100), indicating broadly factual reporting rather than editorialising.
Coverage timeline
hindustantimes broke this story on 14 Oct, 09:55 am. Other outlets followed.