So, what exactly has Alejandro González Iñárritu concocted in his latest film?
We barely know anything about it. Just that Tom Cruise leads an insane ensemble of talented actors, John Goodman apparently injured himself during the shoot, Warner Bros. is paying for the exorbitant budget, it’s potentially titled “Judy,” and according to the director himself, “it’s a wild comedy of catastrophic proportions.”
We did get some breadcrumbs about the plot, but they didn’t do anything to make things clearer. The story reportedly follows a powerful global figure (Cruise?) who races to convince the world he’s its savior—before the catastrophic consequences of his own actions bring about widespread destruction.
One of the actors of “Judy,” Michael Stuhlbarg, is now upping the hype in a new interview:
This film is the craziest thing I’ve ever been a part of in my life. It’s fantastic. My God [laughs] I can’t wait to see how it is. I arrived in October and left in May — it was the longest shoot I’ve ever done. I can’t say much more than that.
What exactly has Iñárritu cooked up here?
Iñárritu has described “Judy” as “a new kind of film,” and stated that Cruise “will surprise the world” with his performance, which has inevitably led to speculation that this could be the actor’s best chance at winning his first competitive Oscar.
The film was shot on 35mm VistaVision by three-time Oscar winner Emmanuel Lubezki and will be released in October 2026. Post-production is supposed to wrap in March, according to Iñárritu, which leaves a slim chance the film could premiere at Cannes in May, where Iñárritu has previously screened three of his much earlier works. 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.
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.”