Tom Cruise transforms for Iñárritu's dark comedy 'Digger'

Tom Cruise reveals a dramatic transformation in the first trailer for Alejandro G. Iñárritu's dark comedy Digger, a film both describe as wholly original. Cruise stars as Digger Rockwell, "the most powerful man in the world," whose oil company may have triggered a trillion-dollar ecological disaster Source: AP News.

The film

The trailer shows Cruise with a grey combover, pot belly, and southern accent, a look reminiscent of his Tropic Thunder fatsuit. The supporting cast includes John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Riz Ahmed, Jesse Plemons, and Sophie Wilde Source: AP News. The film was shot in VistaVision, a high-definition analog process Source: The Guardian.

The collaboration

Iñárritu pitched the script over days, reading it aloud to Cruise, who says he "listened to everything" to understand the director's vision Source: The Guardian. Cruise's admiration for Iñárritu dates back to Amores Perros, which he called "a brilliant film" Source: AP News. Iñárritu added that the idea for Digger came after The Revenant and took a decade to craft Source: The Guardian.

Oscar prospects

With Cruise's unrecognizable performance and the film's fall release, analysts predict a strong Oscar campaign. Cruise has never won a competitive Oscar despite four nominations Source: Euronews. Iñárritu famously presented him with an Honorary Oscar last year, hinting that his first competitive win might be near . opens in theaters on October 2, 2026 .