Warner Bros. has released a special retrospective trailer for the upcoming Tom Cruise film Digger. The three-minute video serves two purposes. It celebrates the actor’s 46-year career in Hollywood and gives audiences the first brief footage from director Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s dark comedy. The trailer includes clips from Cruise’s most famous movies before showing a short look at his new character, Digger Rockwell. The film is scheduled to reach theaters on October 2, 2026.
A Walk Through Cruise’s Iconic Movie Career
The trailer opens with Cruise’s famous line from Top Gun: “I feel the need. The need for speed.” It then moves through memorable moments from movies spanning his entire career. The video includes scenes from Interview with the Vampire, Jerry Maguire, Rain Man, Born on the Fourth of July, Edge of Tomorrow, Magnolia, Tropic Thunder, Collateral, Minority Report, and The Last Samurai.
The montage shows Cruise’s work across many different types of roles. He appears in dramas, action films, sci-fi movies, and comedies. This choice presents him as more than just an action star. The director, Iñárritu, described the process of making Digger as a creative experience that pushed both of them. “Tom makes me laugh every single day,” Iñárritu said. “The range that I discovered working with Tom is unprecedented for me as a director. I was so impressed and happy.”
First Look at Cruise as Digger Rockwell
The last 30 seconds of the retrospective trailer show Cruise in his new role. He plays Digger Rockwell, a powerful oil tycoon who wears cowboy boots and a cowboy hat. Cruise appears with white hair, a thicker body shape, and speaks with a strong Southern accent. In the clip, Rockwell paces around a dark office and says, “If all else fails you hit em with the truth. The hard truth. Just, bang bang bang. Whoo!”
The film follows Digger Rockwell, who is called “the most powerful man in the world.” His oil company causes an ecological disaster. He then tries to convince everyone that he is humanity’s only hope of survival. The movie is being described as a “comedy of catastrophic proportions.”
What the Cast and Crew Have Said About ‘Digger’
Jesse Plemons, who appears in the film, compared Digger to a modern-day version of the classic movie Dr. Strangelove. He shared his thoughts on the project. “It’s one of the strangest, funniest, most tragic scripts I’ve read. There’s a kind of modern-day Dr. Strangelove thing, and then it becomes something else entirely. Getting to see Tom just go for it — not in a death-defying action way but fully showing what an incredible actor he is — that was thrilling.”
Sandra Hüller, another cast member, also spoke about the film. She said she saw an early version of the movie. “I am nearly bursting wanting to talk about this movie. I can’t. I legally can’t. I can say that I saw a version [of it] 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.”
Cruise spoke about the role at CinemaCon in 2025. He said, “This kind of movie is why I wanted to make movies. I have to say, it took 40 years for me to be able to put on the boots of Digger Rockwell.” He also praised Iñárritu’s work. “His voice in cinema is extraordinary, and I’m so honored to work with you and inspired by what you create, my friend.”
Three New Posters and Trailer Release Date
On the same day the retrospective trailer went online, Cruise shared three new posters for Digger on his social media accounts. Each poster shows Digger Rockwell in an exaggerated pose, shooting finger guns from his hips. He wears a dark red suit, cowboy boots, and has a big smile. The posters use a simple, clean design.
Cruise also announced when the full trailer will be released. “Bang, bang, bang! Trailer drops July 13th,” he wrote. Warner Bros. will show the full trailer before IMAX screenings of Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film The Odyssey, which opens on July 17.
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When and Where to Watch ‘Digger’
Digger will be released only in theaters. The North American release date is October 2, 2026. International release dates will be announced at a later time. The movie marks Cruise’s first stand-alone film in nine years, outside the Mission: Impossible and Top Gun series. His last non-franchise project was American Made and The Mummy in 2017.
Iñárritu, who won Oscars for Birdman and The Revenant, directs the film. He co-wrote the script with Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolás Giacobone, and Sabina Berman. The cinematography was done by Emmanuel Lubezki, who also won Oscars for Birdman and The Revenant. The strong cast includes John Goodman, Jesse Plemons, Sandra Hüller, Riz Ahmed, Emma D’Arcy, Sophie Wilde, Michael Stuhlbarg, Robert John Burke, Burn Gorman, and Pip Torrens.
The movie is Iñárritu’s first English-language film since The Revenant in 2015. He described the tone of the film. “All I can say is it is a brutal, wild comedy of catastrophic proportions. It’s insane. It’s scary and funny and beautiful. I know comedy is not what people expect from me, or Tom, and making this film was terrifying for me.”
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Check back for the full Digger trailer when it debuts on July 13. For more updates on upcoming Hollywood movies, stay tuned to VvipTimes.
