Tom Cruise has spent the better part of two decades dangling from airplanes, scaling skyscrapers, and leaping off cliffs—all in the name of entertainment. But his next project might be his most daring stunt yet: completely disappearing into a role. The first trailer for Digger has arrived, and it offers a gloriously unhinged look at Cruise's collaboration with Oscar-winning director Alejandro G. Iñárritu.
In Digger, Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, a larger-than-life oil tycoon who believes he can save humanity from a disaster he may have helped cause. Warner Bros. describes the film as "a comedy of catastrophic proportions," and the trailer delivers on that promise with Cruise in heavy makeup, a wild accent, and an aura that screams "Oscar bait." It's one of the strangest roles of his career, and it might just be the one that finally earns him that elusive Academy Award.
Who Else Stars in 'Digger'?
The cast is stacked with talent. Alongside Cruise, the film features John Goodman (The Big Lebowski), Jesse Plemons (The Power of the Dog), Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall), Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal), Emma D'Arcy (House of the Dragon), Sophie Wilde (Talk to Me), and Michael Stuhlbarg (Call Me by Your Name). Iñárritu co-wrote the script with Sabina Berman, Alexander Dinelaris Jr., and Nicolás Giacobone.
To promote the trailer, Cruise did what he does best: he climbed a giant novelty shovel on the Warner Bros. lot, flashing that million-dollar smile. It's a reminder that even as he transforms into a character, he remains the ultimate movie star.
Digger opens exclusively in theaters on October 2, 2026. For more on the film, check out our coverage of House of the Dragon Season 3 and John Travolta's latest action thriller.
