Everything You Need to Know About Alejandro G. Iñárritu's 'Digger': Plot, Release Date & More
It is already one of the most mysterious and anticipated movies of the year.
Following the success of The Revenant, Alejandro González Iñárritu is directing a film in English for the first time in ten years. The project, titled Digger, is shrouded in mystery – only one teaser has been released, offering no plot details.
While the actors involved are known, their roles are being kept under wraps. One thing is clear, though: critics are already calling the movie one of the most anticipated of the year and drawing parallels with Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove.
When Will 'Digger' Be Released?
The premiere of Digger is scheduled for October 2, 2026. While some sources refute this, critics speculate that the movie will be shown at a fall film festival, such as the Venice Film Festival.
Filming began in the fall of 2024 in the UK and lasted six months. The release date is set for the first week of October, when studios typically release films with serious awards ambitions.
Given Iñárritu's track record and the movie's stellar cast, Digger is almost certainly a contender for the upcoming Oscar season.
What Will 'Digger' Be About?
The first teaser is extremely abstract. It features a battered but energetic Tom Cruise dancing in cowboy boots with a shovel.
The main character, Digger Rockwell, is described as the most powerful man in the world. He must save the planet from a catastrophe that he himself caused. The teaser features the Gorillaz song "O Green World," hinting at the environmental nature of the disaster.
At CinemaCon in April, the studios presented several clips that revealed plot details. A Southern businessman who owns an expensive oil rig triggers a disaster when a five-foot crack appears at the drilling site, threatening the structural integrity of the entire ice shelf.
Millions of people will be forced to flee their homes, and economic losses will exceed trillions of dollars. The president challenges Digger to fix the situation and save the world from the disaster he caused.
Who Makes the Movie & Who Stars in It?
Work on the script began in 2023 – it was written by Nicolás Giacobone and Alexander Dinelaris, who co-wrote Iñárritu's Birdman, as well as Sabina Berman. Emmanuel Lubezki, who worked with Iñárritu on The Revenant, served as cinematographer.
Tom Cruise plays the lead role, his first non-action role in many years. Even in the vague teaser, it's clear that the character's six-pack abs have been replaced by a rounded belly and that his luxurious head of hair is now thinning and gray.
John Goodman played the US president – he suffered a broken hip during filming, forcing production to be suspended. The cast also includes Sandra Hüller, Emma D'Arcy, Jesse Plemons, Sophie Wilde, Riz Ahmed, and Michael Stuhlbarg, though their roles have not been revealed.
