Tom Cruise Transforms in Digger
Tom Cruise stars as an oil tycoon in the final trailer for Alejandro G. Iñárritu's Digger.
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Key Points
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The catastrophe is tied to a giant apocalyptic Greenland iceberg named Judy, which Digger Rockwell has unleashed and is attempting to stop.
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The trailer has Rockwell directly confront his public image, asking viewers to imagine they consider him “Satan himself” and wondering what attacks he should expect from people who think he is “scum of the earth.”
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Iñárritu said he had been developing Digger for roughly a decade and had been discussing the project with Cruise for around seven years before production began.
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The film’s screenplay was written by Iñárritu, Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolás Giacobone and Sabina Berman.
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Cruise described taking on Rockwell as “a real leap into the unknown,” saying the role drew on “all of my knowledge, from all of the years of every film I made,” and recalling his immediate response to Iñárritu’s concept: “Let’s fucking go. I couldn’t wait.”
Tom Cruise transforms into Digger Rockwell, a thinning-haired oil tycoon with a Southern accent and broader build, in the final trailer for Alejandro G. Iñárritu's dark comedy Digger. The film satirizes wealth and greed by centering human behavior—not comets or aliens—as the true apocalyptic disaster. Cruise's character unleashes a giant Greenland iceberg named Judy, then launches a frantic campaign to convince the world he alone can save humanity. The film opens October 2, 2026.
Cruise called taking on the role "a real leap into the unknown," saying it drew on "all of my knowledge, from all of the years of every film I made." He recalled his immediate response to Iñárritu's pitch: "Let's fucking go. I couldn't wait." The ensemble cast includes Sandra Hüller, Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, and others, with three-time Oscar winner Emmanuel Lubezki as cinematographer.
Rockwell's Public Image Crisis Unfolds
In the trailer, Rockwell directly confronts his tarnished reputation. He asks viewers to imagine considering him "Satan himself" and wonders what attacks he should expect from people who think he is "scum of the earth." The character's desperate bid for redemption forms the emotional core of the film's satirical premise.
Iñárritu's Decade-Long Vision for Dark Satire
Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu spent roughly ten years developing Digger, discussing the project with Cruise for around seven years before production began. Iñárritu framed the narrative around human behavior—not asteroids, earthquakes, or alien forces—as the real catastrophe. The screenplay was written by Iñárritu, Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolás Giacobone, and Sabina Berman.
Cruise's Radical Departure From Action Franchises
The role marks Cruise's first major non-franchise satirical role in years. Unlike his Mission: Impossible and Top Gun tentpoles, Cruise uses heavy prosthetics and padded costuming to become an aging CEO with gray hair and a broader frame. IGN notes he appears "in his least recognizable role yet," comparable to his comedic turn in Tropic Thunder.
Iñárritu reunites with co-writers Alexander Dinelaris Jr. and Nicolás Giacobone from Birdman. This marks Iñárritu's first English-language feature since The Revenant (2015). The film was shot on 35mm VistaVision with a $125 million budget.
Unsubtle Satire on Billionaire Arrogance and Climate Ruin
Lainey Gossip describes Digger as an aggressive, unhinged entry in the "billionaires suck" cinematic movement. The film leans into intentional lack of subtlety to satirize corporate greed, vanity, and climate destruction. Rockwell embodies how powerful oligarchs actively ruin the environment, then market themselves as the solution to disasters they caused.
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