Tom Cruise’s radical transformation for ‘Digger’ fuels worldwide buzz
Tom Cruise has undergone a dramatic physical makeover—prosthetic aging, a white comb‑over, a pronounced belly and a Southern drawl—to play Digger Rockwell, an oil‑magnate whose company triggers a planetary ecological disaster. The role is featured in the black‑comedy satire "Digger," directed by Oscar‑winner Alejandro González Iñárritu, his first English‑language film since The Revenant.
The first full trailer, released July 13 2026, presents Cruise’s character racing to prove he can save humanity before the catastrophe he caused sparks a global nuclear conflict. The film’s ensemble includes John Goodman as the U.S. President, Riz Ahmed, Sandra Hüller, Jesse Plemons, Emma D’Arcy, Michael Stuhlbarg, Sophie Wilde and others. It was shot at Pinewood Studios in the United Kingdom using VistaVision, with a $125 million budget and visual effects by Industrial Light & Magic and Legacy Effects.
"Digger" opens in cinemas on October 2 2026 in the United States (Oct 2) and Mexico (Oct 1), with releases also scheduled in Germany, Argentina, Greece, the Netherlands and other territories. Cruise described the part as the biggest challenge of his 50‑year career, saying he had never done anything like it before. The project also attracted attention when Indian star Fahadh Faasil declined a role over unpaid accent‑training costs; the part was later filled by Riz Ahmed.