Tom Cruise stars as Digger Rockwell, an immensely powerful oil tycoon whose drilling operations trigger a catastrophic environmental disaster in Alejandro G. Inarritu’s new film Digger, released in U.S. theaters on October 2, 2026. The Warner Bros. production, distributed by the studio, follows the world’s most powerful man as he scrambles to convince the global community that he can solve the crisis he created.
The film’s official logline describes Digger as the most powerful man in the world racing to save humanity from a disaster he caused. The story begins when a methane leak from a pipeline Digger ignored causes an ice shelf five times the size of Washington, D.C., to detach from Greenland, with currents and winds set to send it colliding into Europe.
A Global Crisis Unfolds
Digger meets with President Compson, played by John Goodman, and his Cabinet, none of whom take seriously the warnings of Digger’s top scientist, Dr. Ganesh, played by Riz Ahmed. Instead of warning European leaders about an impending climate-caused genocide, the group considers blowing up the glacier or ignoring the threat altogether.
ScreenRant’s plot breakdown details how Digger’s drilling ventures in Greenland caused a crack in the ice that rapidly grows. The disaster escalates when the drilling causes an ice shelf 400 miles wide to split off from a glacier and begin careening toward Europe.
Digger is initially unconcerned with the crisis, focusing instead on the health of his dying pet cat, Maggie. At a summit attended by America’s most powerful figures, Dr. Ganesh informs the group that if the shelf is not stopped, it will destroy large sections of Europe.
The Twist: A Play Within a Film
Approximately 30 minutes into the film, Inarritu reveals that the story of Digger Rockwell is actually an in-universe stage play titled ‘Fossil Fools.’ The play is a broad satire about events that occurred decades prior. Tom Cruise is actually playing Curtis Markson, an actor portraying Digger in a biographical production.
According to TheWrap, the reveal occurs when a tree suddenly falls outside Digger’s window, and a giant stagehand rises to set it upright. The film’s heightened comedy and limited sets take on new meaning once the play framework is understood. The opening of Digger’s window mimics a drawn curtain, and the film’s start functions as an overture.
ScreenRant reports that the entire cast is technically playing two characters, though the only actor who gets significant focus is Curtis, the performer playing Digger. Curtis serves as Inarritu’s vehicle for discussing how art reshapes culture and history.
Cast and Characters
The ensemble cast includes Tom Cruise as Digger Rockwell and Curtis Markson, Riz Ahmed as Dr. Ganesh, John Goodman as President Compson, Sandra Huller, Michael Stuhlbarg as the Vice President, and Jesse Plemons. The cast also features Emma D’Arcy, Sophie Wilde, Burn Gorman, and Robert John Burke.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cruise transformed himself into a balding, pot-bellied oil tycoon for the role. The film marks Cruise’s first non-franchise movie since 2017’s American Made and Inarritu’s first film since 2022’s Bardo.
Production and Budget
Digger was greenlit at $125 million but production costs ballooned to between $160 million and $180 million after production ran long, according to four knowledgeable sources cited by Variety. The Hollywood Reporter notes that a studio representative disputes the higher figures. Marketing costs are estimated at an additional $100 million.
Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu started work on the project nine years ago, before the pandemic. In an IndieWire interview, Inarritu revealed that an earlier version of the film had a different tone and a massive budget, and he originally wanted to call the film ‘Blah, Blah, Blah.’
Critical Reception
Digger has divided critics. The film currently holds a 51 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on more than 87 reviews. On Metacritic, the film has a score of 44 out of 100.
Variety’s chief film critic Owen Gleiberman said that although the film feels like a comedy, it failed to actually be funny. The Hollywood Reporter’s chief film critic David Rooney deemed it ‘dead and buried.’ The Boston Globe called it ‘a tedious, unfunny, and nearly unwatchable 128-minute mess.’
Some critics have defended the film. ScreenRant described it as a ‘terrific satire’ and ‘white-hot cinematic rage.’ USA Today said the film ‘crafts an unorthodox, complicated narrative with colorful archetypes that reflect the power players in our own world.’
Box Office Performance
Digger opened to $8 million from 3,321 North American theaters in its debut weekend of October 2-4, 2026, finishing fifth at the domestic box office. Internationally, the film added $12 million from 73 markets, bringing its global opening weekend total to approximately $20 million.
The opening marks Tom Cruise’s lowest domestic debut in 19 years, since 2007’s Lions for Lambs opened to $6.7 million. The film received a C+ CinemaScore from audiences, one of the lowest grades of Cruise’s career. Amazon MGM Studios’ Verity, starring Anne Hathaway, won the weekend with $32.6 million domestically and $62.5 million worldwide.
Deadline projects that Digger could lose Warner Bros. between $150 million and $200 million once theatrical, home entertainment, and streaming revenue are calculated. The film is the final release for Warner Bros. before Paramount Skydance’s $111 billion merger with the studio is finalized on October 6, 2026.
Director’s Response
Inarritu has defended his film amid the polarizing reception. In an interview with the New York Times published Monday, he said, ‘I think definitely it’s an uncommon film. It’s a provoking film.’
In an IndieWire interview, Inarritu said the film is about the stories people tell themselves to justify their actions. He told the publication, ‘We are living in a satire.’
Guillermo del Toro, the Academy Award-winning director, publicly defended Digger on social media. He called the film ‘daring, bold and cinematically complex’ and criticized what he described as ‘petty’ reviews.
Tom Cruise also addressed the film’s reception. In a post-screening onstage discussion last week, Cruise noted the carefully handcrafted props and sets. He said, ‘Everything is practical. It was so beautiful, and I just have to say … AI can’t do that.’
Warner Bros. responded to the divisive reviews with a new marketing campaign that leaned into the split reception. The promotional material used both positive and negative pull quotes, with the tagline ‘Decide for Yourself.’