As anyone who’s read our world-exclusive Digger issue of Empire (still on sale now, by the way) will already know, Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s latest is about to see Mr. Movies himself, Tom Cruise, take ‘a leap into the unknown’ with his wildest role yet — as Digger Rockwell, an uber-powerful oil tycoon who’s in it up to his neck and, well, trying to dig his way out. And if the final trailer for Iñárritu’s wacky, apocalyptic satire is anything to go by, then the man’s got his work cut out for him. Check it out below;
If you ever wondered what Dr. Strangelove might look like if it were set in the present day, starred Tom Cruise channelling the unhinged energy of Tropic Thunder‘s Len Grossman, and had all the stylings of a stealth musical (a Cruisical, if you will), then Digger absolutely looks to have you covered. With its OTT presentation, stagey elements (rotating floors aren’t usually a courtroom staple, right?), and oh-so-timely tale of the disastrous consequences of unchecked power, there’s definitely a sense building that Cruise’s first non-action joint in a hot minute is more than merely a man-made disaster movie. And whether or not rampant speculation of a meta ‘this is actually a film about a play about the actions of a barmy oil tycoon’ proves accurate or not, this latest trailer only reaffirms Cruise’s commitment to Digg-ing out his soul here. No wonder co-star Riz Ahmed forgot he was acting opposite TC while filming.
The short but sweet synopsis for Digger — which co-stars the aforementioned Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg, and a wig-wearing Jesse Plemons — 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.”
Can Digger get out of the hole he’s dug humanity — and himself — into? Are we about to see Tom Cruise relive his Rock Of Ages days and go full musical mode once more? Will we be able to make head or indeed tail of this whole, wild endeavour by the time credits roll? We’ll find out when Digger hits cinemas on 2 October, 2026.
