Overview
- Digger, directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu and shot entirely in VistaVision, stars Tom Cruise as an oil magnate in a theatrical climate satire developed over roughly a decade.
- Iñárritu says real-world events repeatedly reshaped the script and led him to stage the film with Brechtian theatrical devices to create distance between audience and subject.
- Early reviews from press screenings and the London premiere are sharply divided, with some critics praising Cruise’s extreme transformation and performance and others calling the film excessive or muddled.
- Industry estimates report the production budget rose from an initial $125 million to roughly $160–$180 million, and North American opening projections of about $12–$15 million raise concern about the film recouping costs.
- Cruise has been actively promoting the film on an international press tour, and awards conversation centers on his work even as the studio watches opening-weekend results for both box-office and awards momentum.