One of the most anticipated films of 2026 will surely be Alejandro González Iñárritu’s untitled project starring Tom Cruise — though its working title is “Judy.”
Iñárritu is directing his first English-language film since 2015’s “The Revenant,” which earned Leonardo DiCaprio his first Oscar. The Mexican-born filmmaker recently spoke with Anne Thompson about his upcoming project and revealed some intriguing new details.
The film was shot on 35mm VistaVision by three-time Oscar winner Emmanuel Lubezki and, according to Iñárritu, will be released “sometime next fall.” The director is currently in the editing room.
We’re going to finish in February, March […] We still have a long way to go in post-production.
Wrapping in March leaves a slim chance the film could premiere at Cannes in May, where Iñárritu has previously screened three of his works: “Amores Perros,” “Babel,” and “Biutiful.” Then again, Warner Bros might wait it out, and opt instead for a Venice premiere, which would be just a month before its October release date.
On working with Cruise, Iñárritu described it as “the most amazing, unexpected, sweet, gentle relation that I have had on a set.” He added:
His manners, his understanding, his passion, and his integrity, and the way he prepares. He loves the process. Filmmaking has been his life for 40 years. I have never seen somebody so devoted. I was happy to share with him that passion. And at the same time, we built an incredible relation of mutual trust. He will surprise the world.
Iñárritu says audiences can expect a “new kind” of film and praised the rest of the ensemble, which includes Riz Ahmed, Sandra Hüller, John Goodman, and Jesse Plemons.
We had a blast. It was challenging, but it was wild comedy. And we laughed a lot. We had a wild time.
Though plot details remain scarce, the story reportedly follows a powerful global figure (Cruise?) racing to convince the world he’s its savior—before the catastrophic consequences of his own actions bring about widespread destruction.
Iñárritu co-wrote the screenplay in 2023 with longtime collaborators Nicolás Giacobone and Alexander Dinelaris—both of “Birdman”—alongside writer Sabina Berman. This new film marks Iñárritu’s return to directing following “Bardo,” which premiered at the 2022 Venice Film Festival to mixed reviews. His acclaimed filmography includes “Birdman,” “The Revenant,” “Amores Perros,” “21 Grams,” and “Babel.”
Netflix is no longer moving forward with the series, which went by the working title “Heckler” and was supposed to have production take place in the UK. Dennis Kelly (“Utopia”) had been hired to write the scripts.