So, what exactly has Alejandro González Iñárritu concocted in “Digger”?
Only test audiences have seen the film, which has Tom Cruise, in heavy prosthetics, leading a stellar ensemble of talented actors. Cruise is Digger Rockwell, a Texas billionaire trying to save the world from catastrophe. John Goodman plays the president of the United States. Warner Bros. is paying for the exorbitant budget, which is said to be $160M.
One of the actors of “Digger,” Michael Stuhlbarg, upped the hype in a recent interview, calling it “the craziest thing I’ve ever been a part of in my life.”
Jesse Plemons, who co-stars, told Variety that “Digger” was “one of the strangest, funniest, most tragic scripts I’ve read.” More curiously, he went on to reveal that “there’s a kind of modern-day ‘Dr. Strangelove’ thing” going on in the film, and that it then shapeshifts into something entirely different.
Now, their co-star, the usually reserved German actress Sandra Hüller, is doubling down about this mysterious film (via THR):
I am nearly bursting wanting to talk about this movie. But I can’t. I legally can’t. I can say that I saw a version that’s maybe not the final version, and that it impresses me beyond anything I’ve ever seen. I think it’s going to be a remarkable film
What exactly has Iñárritu cooked up here?
Iñárritu has described “Digger” 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.
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.”