‘Digger’ Trailer: Tom Cruise Transforms for Iñárritu's Apocalyptic Comedy

Warner Bros. has unveiled the first trailer for Alejandro G. Iñárritu's apocalyptic comedy 'Digger,' starring a profoundly transformed Tom Cruise. The film is set to premiere exclusively in theaters on October 2, 2026.

Iñárritu, the Oscar-winning director behind 'Birdman' and 'The Revenant,' describes the project as a "comedy of catastrophic proportions." The official synopsis states the premise: a frantic mission by the world's most powerful man to prove he is humanity's savior before a disaster he created destroys everything. For Cruise, that man is Digger Rockwell, a crass, potbellied titan of the oil industry sporting a honeyed Southern drawl and extensive prosthetic makeup.

Who else is in the cast?

The film boasts a formidable ensemble. John Goodman plays the President of the United States. Riz Ahmed appears as an alarmed scientist, while Sandra Hüller's role is hinted to be a potential love interest for Digger. The supporting cast includes Jesse Plemons, Sophie Wilde, Michael Stuhlbarg, Emma D'Arcy, Robert John Burke, and Burn Gorman.

Why is this such a big deal for Tom Cruise?

'Digger' marks a major pivot for Cruise, whose recent decades have been defined by globe-trotting franchise action. This is his first feature since 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' and his first significant character-actor transformation since playing Les Grossman in 'Tropic Thunder.' At a recent event, Cruise emphasized the project's uniqueness, saying, "I have never had something that could challenge me in this way and neither has Alejandro when we went in, ever." He later told the director, "It took me 40 years to become this character."

The collaboration itself is a long time coming. Cruise became an instant fan of Iñárritu after seeing his 2000 debut 'Amores Perros' and had wanted to work with him for 26 years. The director approached Cruise about the role roughly seven years ago during development. To understand the vision, Cruise spent days listening to Iñárritu read the script aloud, a technique he uses to fully grasp a director's intent.

When does 'Digger' come out?

Warner Bros. has scheduled 'Digger' for an exclusive theatrical release on October 2, 2026. The film was shot in the high-resolution VistaVision format, reuniting Iñárritu with his 'Revenant' cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki. Positioned at the start of awards season, the studio is clearly positioning the $200 million epic as both a major event and a prestige play.