Honestly, we all expected another plane. Or a motorcycle jump off a cliff. Or maybe Tom Cruise strapped to the outside of a rocket because, well, it’s Tuesday. But the new Tom Cruise movie trailer for Digger just dropped, and it is weird. Like, Magnolia-level intense but with a shovel.
If you were looking for Ethan Hunt, you’re going to be disappointed. This isn't that.
The teaser that has everyone scratching their heads
The first footage for Digger is barely a minute long, yet it’s managed to spark more conversation than the entire three-hour runtime of many recent blockbusters. Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu—the guy who put Leonardo DiCaprio in a horse carcass for The Revenant—this film looks like a total pivot for Cruise.
The new Tom Cruise movie trailer shows him as Digger Rockwell. He’s dancing. He’s wearing cowboy boots and carrying a spade. The letters in the title are even stacked to look like a guy with a shovel. It’s a "comedy of catastrophic proportions," which sounds like a very Iñárritu way of saying "this is going to be dark as hell."
Here’s the thing: Cruise is playing the most powerful man in the world. He’s unleashed some kind of global disaster and now he’s on a frantic, likely delusional mission to prove he’s actually the savior. Think Dr. Strangelove meets Succession, but with that manic Cruise energy we haven't seen since Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder.
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Why the industry is buzzing about the Digger trailer
Warner Bros. isn't playing it safe here. They’ve reportedly handed Iñárritu a $125 million budget for a black comedy. In 2026, that is a massive gamble.
But look at the cast. It’s a murderer’s row of talent. You’ve got:
- Jesse Plemons, who already compared the script to Kubrick.
- Sandra Hüller, the powerhouse from Anatomy of a Fall.
- John Goodman (who apparently had a minor hip injury on set but is back in action).
- Riz Ahmed and Emma D’Arcy.
This isn't just a movie; it’s a statement. Cruise is 63 now. He just wrapped up Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning in 2025, effectively saying goodbye to Ethan Hunt. He’s got nothing left to prove in the stunt world. Digger feels like he’s finally chasing that elusive Best Actor Oscar he’s been circling for thirty years.
It’s shot in VistaVision (because of course it is)
Cruise and Iñárritu didn't just use standard digital cameras. They went old school. They shot this thing on 35mm film using VistaVision. For the tech nerds out there, that’s the high-resolution format famously used by Alfred Hitchcock for Vertigo.
It gives the footage this incredibly wide, sharp, almost hyper-real look. In the new Tom Cruise movie trailer, you can see the texture of the dirt and the crazed look in Digger Rockwell’s eyes with terrifying clarity. It was filmed mostly in the UK under the working title Judy, wrapping up in May 2025.
What happened to Top Gun 3?
Don't worry, the aviators aren't retired forever. While Digger is the immediate focus with its October 2, 2026 release date, Top Gun 3 is still very much in the works at Paramount.
But Digger is the priority. It represents the "new era" of the Cruise-Warner Bros. partnership. For years, Cruise was the guy who saved the theatrical experience with "big" movies. Now, he’s trying to save the "adult drama" by proving a movie about a powerful man with a shovel can still pull a crowd.
What we know about the plot so far
The trailer is intentionally vague. "In Digger We Trust" is the tagline. We see Cruise’s silhouette, those boots, and a lot of frantic movement.
The story focuses on a catastrophe. Not an alien invasion or a terrorist plot, but something Digger himself caused. The humor comes from the absurdity of a man with that much power trying to "fix" the world while clearly losing his grip on reality. Plemons called the script one of the "strangest, funniest, most tragic" things he’s ever read.
Actionable insights for fans and collectors
If you're tracking this release, here is how to stay ahead of the curve:
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- Watch for the Venice Film Festival: Iñárritu loves Venice. Birdman and Bardo both premiered there. Expect the first full-length Digger trailer and world premiere in September 2026.
- IMAX is the way to go: Because it was shot in VistaVision, the visual fidelity is designed for the largest screens possible. Don't waste the experience on a standard theater if you can avoid it.
- Look for the "O Green World" connection: The teaser features the Gorillaz track "O Green World," which sets a very specific, twitchy, end-of-the-world vibe. It’s a hint that the soundtrack will be just as chaotic as the film.
- Don't expect a sequel: This is a standalone auteur project. It’s a one-and-done performance designed to remind everyone that before he was an action hero, Tom Cruise was one of the best character actors in Hollywood.
The new Tom Cruise movie trailer for Digger isn't just a marketing clip; it's a pivot point for a career that has lasted four decades. Whether he strikes gold or just digs a hole remains to be seen, but you can’t say the man is playing it safe. Mark October 2, 2026, on your calendar—it's going to be a wild ride.
Follow the official Warner Bros. social channels for the high-res poster release, which features the vertical "Digger" typography that confirms the film's surrealist tone.