Tom Cruise has spent more than four decades sprinting across movie screens, hanging off planes, scaling skyscrapers and redefining what audiences expect from a blockbuster star. Now, moviegoers are getting a glimpse at what may be one of the strangest and most transformative roles of his career – but only if they head to the cinema.
The first proper footage of Cruise as eccentric billionaire Digger Rockwell in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s upcoming film Digger has officially debuted, though not online. Instead, the footage is being shown exclusively in theatres as part of a sprawling retrospective montage attached to the IMAX rereleases of Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick.
Playing across select IMAX locations and IMAX screens within the HOYTS and Event Cinemas circuits for a limited season, the retrospective reel is less a standard promo package and more a full-blown celebration of Cruise’s legacy as one of cinema’s last true movie stars.
The montage spans more than 100 clips pulled from over 30 films across Cruise’s 40-plus-year career, revisiting everything from iconic action set pieces to instantly quotable moments and beloved characters. Tucked amongst the nostalgia is the first clear footage from Digger, marking the first real look at Cruise’s physical transformation into Digger Rockwell.
Until now, audiences had only seen fleeting material from the film through a title announcement teaser. The newly unveiled footage finally offers a proper taste of what Cruise and Iñárritu have been cooking up.
Directed by Academy Award winner Iñárritu, Digger has been described as “a comedy of catastrophic proportions,” a phrase that already feels worlds away from the death-defying intensity audiences usually associate with Cruise. The film also stars Sandra Hüller, John Goodman, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, Sophie Wilde and Riz Ahmed.
Cruise previously spoke about the project during Warner Bros.’ CinemaCon presentation earlier this year, calling it the kind of film that reminded him why he wanted to make movies in the first place.
“This kind of movie is why I wanted to make movies,” Cruise said. “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 filmmaking voice, adding: “His voice in cinema is extraordinary, and I’m so honored to work with you and inspired by what you create, my friend.”
There is something undeniably fitting about the footage debuting this way. In an era where trailers are dissected frame-by-frame online within seconds, Cruise is once again pushing audiences toward the theatrical experience itself. You don’t unlock the first look at Digger by refreshing social media feeds or waiting for a YouTube upload. You buy a movie ticket, sit in an IMAX cinema, and watch it unfold on the biggest screen possible – exactly the way Cruise would want it.
And honestly? For a star whose entire career has been built on making moviegoing feel like an event, it’s hard to imagine a more fitting reveal.
Digger is scheduled for release in Australian theatres on October 1st, 2026, before opening in the United States on October 2nd.
