Tom Cruise has adamantly defended Digger despite the film being panned by critics and getting off to a disappointing start at the box office. 

The 64-year-old actor said he is 'so proud of what we created' the day after the satirical black comedy film's soft opening on Friday, October 2.

In spite of the mixed reception so far, he took to Instagram to share his gratitude for the cast and crew he worked alongside on the Alejandro G. Iñárritu-directed film. 

'I am so honored to have had the opportunity to create this film alongside such talented artists,' he wrote in the caption of a snapshots taken on set. 

'Thank you to the entire cast and crew for your dedication, hard work, and joy. The experience was truly unforgettable and I'm so proud of what we created.' 

Earlier in the day, Deadline reported that Digger opened with $8 million on its opening day. 

In comparison, Verity, the Anne Hathaway-led adaptation of Colleen Hoover's same-name novel, opened with $33 million this weekend.

The film may mark the lowest opening of Cruise's career in nearly two decades, with his last major box office drubbing coming with his 2007 film Lions for Lambs. 

According to World of Reel, Digger may open with less than $10 million this weekend.

Box Office Theory has a stronger prediction, reporting that Digger could open with between $16 million and $26 million.

Digger was helmed by Iñárritu - who previously directed Leonardo DiCaprio to his first Oscars victory in the adventure film The Revenant - and cost upwards of $125 million to make.

The dark comedy sees Cruise transform into a nearly unrecognizable look as he is made up in prosthetics and a wig for his role as wealthy oil tycoon Digger Rockwell. 

The film follows him as he races to fix a catastrophic ecological disaster that he himself unleashed.

John Goodman stars as the dictatorial President of the United States in the politically-charged satire, which is said to be a commentary on climate issues and corporate greed.

On the same day Cruise made his social media post, filmmaker Guillermo del Toro defended the film, which critics have already been calling 'the worst film' of his decades-spanning career. 

Digger earned a C+ from CinemaScore and currently has a 'rotten' rating of just 51 percent on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, making it his worst-reviewed film since 2017's The Mummy.

Del Toro, whose 2017 movie The Shape of Water won the Oscars for best picture and best director, lashed out at a critical appraisal of Digger on X. 

He responded to IGN headline that read: 'The theater experience won't change your mind on Digger, and the laughs that are there still will be when it hits HBO Max.' 

'Entirely Petty headline,' Del Toro sniffed. 'Love it or not. And, yes, I do. The film delivers in scale, ambition and reach at a theatrical screen level. Daring, bold and Cinematically complex. Decidedly a Theatrical experience.' 

He then began reposting comments from X users who also enjoyed the picture, advising his more than two million followers on the platform to either 'tune in or drop out.' 

In one particularly scathing review, the Boston Globe called Digger a 'turgid, unfunny, and borderline unwatchable 128 minute mess.'

Den of Geek wrote, '[Digger] forgets the statement must still work as anything more than a self-flagellating valediction from a movie star.' 

Some other outlets were more positive, including Collider, who praised Cruise's 'bizarre but brilliant performance.'

Daily Mail's own Brian Viner also heaped gushing praise on Digger, scoring it four out of five stars.