Cruise's Radical Role
Tom Cruise Embarks on Bold Transformation for Iñárritu's 'Digger'; Release Date Uncertain
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Key Points
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Riz Ahmed joins the Digger ensemble, expanding the cast beyond the previously announced leads.
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Digger is depicted as an elderly oil magnate whose company caused an ecological disaster, complete with a heavy Southern accent.
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Emma D'Arcy described Cruise's performance in Digger as 'unparalleled' after watching footage shown at CinemaCon.
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CinemaCon 2026 screenings reportedly yielded a positive reception to Digger and Cruise's transformative portrayal.
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A new Digger montage includes Cruise delivering a hard-truth line: 'When all else fails, you hit ’em with the truth. Hit ’em with the hard truth. Just, bang bang bang!'.
Tom Cruise is unrecognizable as Digger Rockwell — an elderly, pot-bellied oil tycoon with a white comb-over and a thick Southern accent — in a new 4-minute retrospective trailer released by Warner Bros. on June 23, 2026. The video spends three minutes celebrating Cruise's 45-year career before debuting fresh footage of his transformation, drawing early comparisons to Stanley Kubrick's *Dr. Strangelove* MovieWeb.
Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu and written by the *Birdman* screenwriting team, *Digger* is a $125 million black comedy about an oil magnate whose company triggers an ecological catastrophe. The film's release date remains unclear, with most marketing materials listing October 2, 2026, while select assets point to an October 26 IMAX window First Showing.
Cruise Transforms Into a Disgraced Oil Magnate
Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, a wealthy and "unsightly" oil tycoon whose Arctic drilling operation causes a methane leak and triggers a global ecological disaster. The role required a prosthetic belly, a thinning white comb-over, and a thick Southern drawl. Cruise told CinemaCon audiences it took "40 years" for him to be ready to play the character CinemaBlend.
The new retrospective trailer includes a now-viral line from Cruise's character: "When all else fails, you hit 'em with the truth. Hit 'em with the hard truth. Just, bang bang bang!" AV Club. Iñárritu described Cruise's work on set as "another kind of fearless" — distinct from his usual stunt-driven performances.
Riz Ahmed and John Goodman Join a Star-Packed Ensemble
The cast has grown well beyond the originally announced leads. John Goodman plays an ailing U.S. President who orders Digger to fix the disaster his company caused. Riz Ahmed plays the President's personal assistant. Sandra Hüller, Jesse Plemons, Sophie Wilde, Emma D'Arcy, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Burn Gorman round out the ensemble JoBlo.
Ahmed praised Cruise's work after seeing footage, saying "I've never seen anything like him... every bit of his energy is about maximizing the excellence." D'Arcy called the performance "unparalleled" and said she spent her time on set "trying to make notes about how Alejandro and Tom were working" CinemaBlend.
CinemaCon Crowds Stunned; Critics Flag Early Concerns
When extended footage screened at CinemaCon in April 2026, industry attendees reportedly came away "stunned" by Cruise's physical transformation. Many compared the film's tone to *Dr. Strangelove*, citing its "manic energy" and "dark satirical bite" MovieWeb. Oscar pundits are already naming Cruise a Best Actor frontrunner, noting that Iñárritu's last English-language lead — Leonardo DiCaprio — won the Academy Award.
Not everyone is convinced. Early test screening leaks describe the film as "overstuffed and chaotic," with some calling Cruise's performance "cartoonish." Social media has largely framed the project as "Les Grossman on steroids" — a reference to Cruise's scene-stealing *Tropic Thunder* character — rather than the prestige drama Warner Bros. is selling CinemaBlend.
October Release Date Confusion and What Comes Next
Most trade publications and ticketing sites list October 2, 2026, as the primary release date. But select recent marketing assets, including a *MovieWeb* report, point to October 26 as an IMAX-specific window MovieWeb. The gap suggests Warner Bros. may still be adjusting its strategy — possibly to avoid a crowded early-October release corridor or to finalize the cut after mixed test screenings.
The next major milestone is July 13, 2026 — the scheduled date for the first full, non-retrospective trailer AV Club. Analysts say the marketing must clearly explain the plot for the film to succeed. At $125 million, *Digger* is one of the biggest bets Warner Bros. has ever made on an original, non-franchise adult comedy — and its performance will shape the studio's future slate.
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