Tom Cruise has, facetiously and otherwise, become known as “Mr. Movies.” Whether he’s advocating for the theatrical experience, or awkwardly munching on popcorn, or sending delicious-looking cakes to those in the entertainment industry, he’s become associated with cinema in a truly unique way.
That also included his landmark first-look deal with Warner Bros. Pictures in January of 2024… and now, we’re finally getting to see the first project from that collaboration. On Thursday, Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Entertainment finally unveiled the first details around the movie, and even a brief teaser of footage.
The project is titled Digger, and is being billed as “A Comedy of Catastrophic Proportions.” The teaser footage shows Cruise, disheveled and armed with cowboy boots and a shovel, dancing throughout an apartment and on a pier. Additionally, the footage confirmed that Digger will be released exclusively in theaters on October 2nd.
Digger will star Cruise as Digger Rockwell, who is described as “the most powerful man in the world who embarks on a frantic mission to prove that he is humanity’s savior before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything.”
The cast of Digger also includes Sandra Hüller, John Goodman, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, Sophie Wilde, Riz Ahmed and Emma D’Arcy. The film is directed by Birdman and The Revenant director Alejandro González Iñárritu, from a script that he co-wrote with Nicolas Giacobone and Alexander Dinelaris, along with Sabina Berman.
There’s a lot to unpack here. As someone who adored Iñárritu’s work on Birdman, the similar kitschy vibes from the teaser and marketing are encouraging. And the notion of Cruise doing a genuine comedy again, after years of starring in high-octane action fare and legacy sequels, feels like a breath of fresh air. Jerry Maguire, and even his unrecognizable performance in Tropic Thunder, prove that he has the timing down pat… and I can’t wait to see it in this new context.
(featured image: Warner Bros. Pictures)
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