What is ‘Digger’ about? Everything we know about Tom Cruise's satirical comedy
Tom Cruise causes a global crisis and then volunteers to save everyone from it. That is the setup for 'Digger,' Alejandro G. Iñárritu's satirical comedy, which reaches North American theaters on October 2. Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, whose drilling project triggers an environmental disaster. With the situation threatening to escalate into nuclear war, Digger tries to contain the damage while presenting himself as the hero the world needs.
The official logline reads: “The most powerful man in the world embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything.” Digger tries to solve a problem linked to his own company while presenting himself as humanity’s savior. The trailer shows the first signs of the catastrophe but leaves the outcome of his rescue effort unclear. The film’s premise makes his attempt to manage public opinion part of the story.
Cruise's Digger Rockwell is a billionaire oil baron with a thick Southern accent, thinning white hair, and a pot belly. The look puts some distance between him and the action roles audiences have seen in 'Mission: Impossible' and 'Top Gun.' In the trailer, he dismisses warnings about his company's work before facing pressure to help stop the resulting catastrophe. John Goodman plays the US president, who turns to Digger as the threat grows, while Riz Ahmed appears as a presidential aide.
The transformation extends beyond Digger's hair and accent. Cruise wears facial prosthetics and a padded bodysuit to play the character, which is a departure from the leads he has played in his recent franchise films. At the film's London premiere, Cruise told Reuters that a 10-minute monologue filmed in one take was more demanding than the physical makeover. 'Digger' is his first non-franchise movie since 2017's 'American Made.'
'Digger' is an original satire: no book, comic or true story is credited as its basis. Warner Bros. credits the screenplay to Iñárritu, Sabina Berman, Alexander Dinelaris Jr. and Nicolás Giacobone. Its story credits name Berman, Iñárritu and Jez Butterworth. Digger Rockwell is not intended as a portrait of a particular real-life billionaire.
“This movie's not based on anyone,” Cruise said on an episode of 'New Heights' with Jason and Travis Kelce. Viewers may recognize the film's interest in corporate power and environmental responsibility, but Cruise's statement rules out treating one public figure as its confirmed model. Iñárritu began developing the idea after 'The Revenant,' and 'Digger' marks his first film with Cruise.
Iñárritu previously worked with Dinelaris and Giacobone on 'Birdman,' but 'Digger' takes them into a story about an oil tycoon facing the consequences of his own decisions. The director has kept much of the plot out of the film's marketing, leaving the trailers to establish Digger's predicament and the scale of the threat. That means the central question is clear before release, even if the steps he takes to save the world remain undisclosed. He has to address the disaster while persuading others that he can be trusted to do it.
Alongside Cruise, the cast includes Ahmed, Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Jesse Plemons, and Michael Stuhlbarg. Sophie Wilde and Emma D'Arcy also appear, though Warner Bros. has not laid out every character's place in Digger's attempt to avert disaster. The film was shot entirely in VistaVision, with Emmanuel Lubezki serving as cinematographer. Warner Bros. begins its international theatrical rollout on September 30, followed by the North American theatrical and IMAX release on October 2.
