In June, Warner Bros. Pictures unveiled an intriguing teaser for Tom Cruise’s upcoming film, “Digger,” framing it as truly a celebration of the actor’s illustrious career. The teaser revisited some of Cruise’s iconic roles, climaxing with a fleeting glimpse of “Digger,” helmed by director Alejandro Iñárritu. Recently, the full trailer was released, offering a comprehensive introduction to the film’s narrative and showcasing Cruise’s performance, which has sparked talk of a potential Oscar win.
While Cruise already holds an honorary Oscar, the anticipation for him to earn a best actor statuette is palpable. Regardless of whether this is his year, “Digger” promises to entertain, with its dark comedic tones drawing parallels to a modern “Dr. Strangelove.” Cruise embodies Digger Rockwell, a character holding immense global influence who inadvertently causes a potentially multi-trillion dollar disaster, highlighting the stark value society places on monetary losses over human lives.
Broaching the fine line between understanding mere facts and grasping the full narrative, Digger is set on presenting himself as a hero for humanity. This film unveils a fresh side of Cruise’s talent, beyond his classic action-packed roles, emphasizing a relationship with a frail cat that stands out as a significant and memorable aspect of the film.
Tom Cruise’s career has all led to Digger
Attending an exclusive preview of the “Digger” trailer, Looper partook in a Q&A session with Tom Cruise, who shared insights on his longstanding aspiration to collaborate with Alejandro Iñárritu since viewing “Amores Perros” in 2000. Their partnership, evolving over the past seven years, has now come to fruition with “Digger.” Although Iñárritu was not present, his video message emphasized that the core of “Digger” is its uniquely compelling protagonist. Cruise embraced the role, adopting a thick Southern drawl, a significantly different physique, and a flair for unpredictable outbursts.
The trailer looks absolutely beautiful; the movie was filmed in VistaVision, a high-resolution format developed in 1954 that’s seen a resurgence lately in films like last year’s best picture winner, “One Battle After Another.” Could VistaVision go two-for-two at next year’s ceremony with “Digger” taking home the big prize? That remains to be seen, but it’s clear you won’t want to sleep on this.
Cruise stars in the upcoming film alongside Sandra Hüller, Riz Ahmed, Jesse Plemons, Emma D’Arcy, Michael Stuhlbarg, and John Goodman, who plays the ailing, near-death President of the United States. For now, we just want to see more scenes with Cruise and that sick cat. Cruise refused to confirm whether or not the cat was an animatronic, but it’s glorious nonetheless.
“Digger,” which looks like it’ll easily be one of the best movies of 2026, comes out in theaters and in IMAX on October 2.