Tom Cruise Triggers The Apocalypse & Must Save The World In Final Digger Trailer

Published Sep 9, 2026, 9:08 AM EDT Brennan Klein (he/him) is a senior news writer at Screen Rant, host of the Attack of the Queerwolf podcast, and contributor at Alternate Ending and Horror Press. He has been writing and podcasting about pop culture (especially horror movies) for over a decade at platforms including Blumhouse, Fangoria, Dread Central, The Backlot, and Arrow in the Head. In Digger we trust. 2026's Digger, which debuts in theaters on October 2, was directed and co-written by four-time Oscar winner Alejandro G. Iñárritu. The movie stars Tom Cruise as a colorful and callous oil tycoon, opposite an ensemble cast that includes Oscar winner Riz Ahmed, Oscar nominee Jesse Plemons, two-time Emmy nominee Michael Stuhlbarg, and House of the Dragon star Emma D'Arcy. It is the director's first feature film since 2022's Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths, which was in turn his first since 2015's The Revenant, which won three Oscars (including Best Actor for Leonardo DiCaprio). Iñárritu co-wrote Digger with Sabina Berman (Macho) along with his Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) co-writers Alexander Dinelaris Jr. and Nicolás Giacobone. Warner Bros. has released the final trailer for Digger. The trailer opens on a bit of character building, with Digger acknowledging that some people think that he is the "scum of the Earth." The next scene sees him speaking to the President (John Goodman) and informing him that an accident on one of his company's rigs has led to a tsunami. The President puts the responsibility for saving hundreds of thousands of lives on his shoulders. However, the situation gets out of hand, as disaster footage shows. According to Digger's sister (Anatomy of a Fall star Sandra Hüller), half of the continent is drowned by the apocalyptic wave. During a raucous trial, Digger defends himself by saying that oil companies make people's lives easier, but public sentiment turns against him more and more. In a montage of scenes from the movie, a line from Jesse Plemons' character, Kenny, is implicitly used to describe the movie itself as ridiculous, scary, funny, stupid, and "a lot of fun to watch." The final moment of the trailer closes on a gag where the President chastises a cabinet member for making an off-color joke, saying "there are women present." The group of men looks around the room, confused, then burst out laughing. Check out the full trailer below: This final trailer highlights what a satirical bent the upcoming movie has. In addition to skewering the response that the government and corporations have to the climate crisis, the final moment of the trailer highlights the misogyny and carelessness of modern politics. Given the focus of its narrative, it could very well become a major Oscar contender in the same vein as the 2021 climate crisis allegory Don't Look Up, an Adam McKay movie that was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Picture. Another potentially Oscar-worthy aspect that the new Digger trailer showcases is Tom Cruise's performance. In addition to transforming his appearance for the movie, Cruise imbues his character with a demented energy that is very different from the types of action heroes that he has played in recent movies, including the latest installments in the Mission: Impossible franchise and the legacy sequel Top Gun: Maverick. Should Digger be nominated for Oscars, it would be a return to form for Iñárritu. Although Bardo was only nominated for one (Best Cinematography), his movies are typically heavily lauded during awards season, with The Revenant's three Oscar wins being joined by four for Birdman (including Best Picture), one for 2006's Babel, two nominations for 2010's Biutiful, and one nomination for 2000's Amores Perros. Release Date October 2, 2026 Runtime 128 minutes Director Alejandro González Iñárritu Writers Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Sabina Berman, Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolás Giacobone Producers Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Mary Parent, Michael Sharp, Tom Cruise