Tom Cruise has described Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s upcoming film “Digger” as unlike anything he has ever made before, emphasizing its originality and the deep collaboration between himself and the director. The actor, who was present at a trailer launch event for the film, shared his long-standing desire to work with Iñárritu, dating back to his viewing of the director's 2000 film, Amores Perros.
"The film needed Tom," Iñárritu stated in a pre-recorded message, having wanted to collaborate with the actor since the early 2000s. "We [have] wanted to work together since the beginning of the century. I admired him as an actor for years... The surprise was discovering that the human being behind the actor was just as extraordinary as the performances I will see throughout his career."
Cruise elaborated on his seven-year involvement with the project, which began when Iñárritu approached him with the concept. "He came to me with this project, Digger, which he'd been working on for a couple of years by then," Cruise explained. "And he came to me, I guess now seven years ago, something like that, as he was developing, working on it, and then we just worked on it together."
Both artistically and personally, Cruise found the project uniquely challenging. "I have never had something that could challenge me in this way and neither has Alejandro when we went in, ever. And when you see this film, it's totally original," he remarked. Iñárritu, known for his Academy Award-winning films Birdman and The Revenant, echoed this sentiment, stating that the film demanded an unprecedented level of preparation. "Every frame, every lens, every color, every costume, every face, every context, every object, every layer and symbol, nothing here is an accident," Iñárritu said. "We shot on VistaVision, because cinema deserves scale."
The film, billed as “a comedy of catastrophic proportions,” features Cruise in a nearly unrecognizable role as tycoon Digger Rockwell, whose oil drilling operations lead to a global disaster. The trailer, which evokes vibes similar to Dr. Strangelove, highlights the film's dark comedic tone. Cruise discussed the nuanced approach to comedy required for the role, noting, "If you start to feel the musicality of the character, it has a rhythm, and it's not a rhythm like anything else."
At 64, Cruise reflected on his 45-year career and the significance of “Digger” in its context. He expressed gratitude for the opportunities he’s had to learn from directors and crews throughout his life. "I'm so grateful. It's kind of amazing to be here at this age. I think back to that kid on the set looking into different departments, and those people that were gracious enough to be able to share that knowledge," he shared. "There's nothing better than to physically and metaphorically stand on the edge of a cliff and go, ‘Let's do this. And I trust you and whatever we're going to do, I know this is going to be a hell of an experience and let's come together and let's do it. Let's all do it.'"
Warner Bros. is scheduled to release “Digger” in theaters on October 2, 2026.