Tom Cruise is back to save the world – but this time with a comedic twist – in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s film "Digger," as a special preview was unveiled at CinemaCon. Warner Bros. presented the project during their Las Vegas presentation on Tuesday, where both Cruise and Iñárritu were in attendance and received a warm round of applause upon their arrival.
Cruise, who is arguably the industry's top advocate for theaters, addressed the room of cinema owners and distributors, saying, "I want to thank you all for everything you do." He celebrated by adding, "We're up 23 percent so far at the box office in 2026." He continued, "My film family, you know I'm here for you and I love you."
Iñárritu explained that he first had the idea for "Digger" nine years ago and has been discussing it with Cruise for the last seven years. "Watching Tom Cruise become Digger Rockwell, I wasn't prepared for that," the filmmaker said, adding that he knew Cruise was fearless from his stunts but "embodying this character is another kind of fearless… this role could be his most challenging, high-wire act."
Cruise gushed over his collaboration with Iñárritu, saying this was "the kind of movie I wanted to make." He added, "The movie is wild, it's funny, and I can't wait for you all to see it."
In the footage shown, Cruise is unrecognizable, with gray hair, wrinkles, and a gut as he struts around his mansion and nurses his sick cat. It soon becomes clear that Digger is the billionaire executive of a major company causing an environmental disaster via a methane leak that threatens to displace millions of people. John Goodman appears as the President, urging Cruise's character to fix it – and so he sets out to do so by literally grabbing a shovel. "We can't control the course of nature, but at least we can control the narrative," he declares.
The film, which also stars Sandra Huller, Jesse Plemons, Riz Ahmed, Michael Stuhlbarg, Sophie Wilde, and Emma D’Arcy, is being billed as a "Comedy of Catastrophic Proportions." Iñárritu said last year in Cannes, "All I can say is it's a brutal, wild comedy of catastrophic proportions. It's insane. It's scary and funny and beautiful. I know comedy isn't what people expect from me or Tom, and making this film was terrifying for me." He added, "But I don't like to repeat myself, and every film should scare you a little. I felt 'Birdman' was a comedy, a dark comedy, and this one was challenging like that. And Tom makes me laugh every single day. He has this total commitment, this total madness." The film is set for a theatrical release on October 2.
CinemaCon, the annual gathering of cinema owners and Hollywood studios hosted in Las Vegas by Cinema United (formerly known as the National Association of Theatre Owners), runs from April 13-16 this year.
