The financial failure of Hollywood’s latest climate lecture has revealed a startling shift in public sentiment. Audiences have moved on from the climate change agenda, as demonstrated by the box-office bombing of Tom Cruise’s current film, “Digger.”
This outcome is particularly surprising. Critics have historically been very generous with Tom Cruise’s projects, and audiences have consistently embraced him as one of Hollywood’s most popular stars. Now, “Digger” has faced a dual drubbing: initial critical panning followed by widespread audience indifference. These setbacks have positioned the film for an all-time money-losing status.
Both outcomes are noteworthy given the scale of the issue and the star power involved. The climate change agenda, one of the world’s most discussed topics, has collided with the career of a top Hollywood talent in an unusual manner.
There have been other signs of a potential shift in climate policy discussions. Last year, Bill Gates acknowledged that the “doomsday view” of climate change was “wrong,” advocating instead for strategies focused on human welfare and addressing climate impacts rather than reversing them. This June, Jamie Dimon warned European nations were harming their economies through aggressive climate policies, noting a significant drop in Europe’s GDP from 90% to 70% of U.S. levels. Additionally, the United Nations recently reduced its most severe projections for climate change.
These developments were overlooked due to the immense coverage and financial resources (an estimated $1 trillion in the U.S. alone) previously dedicated to climate action.
Climate change has been a consistent focus for decades, with policymakers and the public aligning their actions accordingly. However, a subtle shift has occurred beneath the headlines. Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and especially following the Iranian conflict, discussions have centered on oil prices rather than oil usage. The transition away from oil—critical to climate goals—has been largely absent in these conversations.
The current focus is heavily on mitigating the negative impacts of high oil prices, including reducing them and securing supply routes. While these indicators suggest a retreat in the climate change agenda, the failure of “Digger” may be an even stronger signal: the public no longer views climate change as an urgent priority. It has moved on.
As one familiar analogy states, although the canary may not be dead in climate change’s coal mine, it is no longer singing.
