The Oscar-nominated actor plays aging oil executive Digger Rockwell in the Alejandro G. Iñárritu dark comedy.
Edward SegarraJames PowelUSA TODAY
July 13, 2026Updated July 14, 2026, 10:33 a.m. ET
Tom Cruise takes getting into character very seriously.
The Oscar-nominated actor, who plays oil executive Digger Rockwell in the upcoming film “Digger,” unveiled his bold transformation for the role in the movie’s first trailer, released Monday, July 13. In the dark comedy, directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Rockwell is an aging business tycoon with gray hair, a paunchy stomach and a thick Southern accent.
“Everything changes,” Cruise, as Rockwell, says in the NSFW trailer‘s opening frame. “One day you’re a cat, or a king. The next day, you’re just ashes in a box.”
The two-and-a-half-minute clip includes a montage of Rockwell in his lavish home. Cruise, known for his dark brown mane and youthfully trim physique, can be seen pacing around in Rockwell’s walk-in closet with a notably plump belly and receding hair.
Cruise, 64, reflected on his daring makeover during an April <a href="https://mrmoviez.com/california-leads-lawsuit-to-block-paramount-warner-bros-mega-merger/" title="California leads lawsuit to block Paramount Warner Bros mega merger”>Warner Bros. panel at the convention for theater owners and studios.
“It took me 40 years to be able to put on the boots of Digger Rockwell and [play] the many layers,” Cruise said at the time.
Rockwell’s company appears to have an energy field in distress that has major impact around the world, which sends the oil executive on a “frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything,” according to the film’s logline on IMDb.
“If we can’t control the course of nature, at least we can control the narrative,” Rockwell says in one scene.
Iñárritu, who approached Cruise about starring in the film seven years ago, previously commended the “Top Gun” icon for his dedication to portraying Rockwell.
“We know he’s fearless,” Iñárritu said at the Warner Bros. panel in April. “The stunts, the plane, the jumps. But I have to say, embodying this character is another kind of fearless. I think this role may be his most challenging.”
Aside from Cruise, “Digger” features an all-star cast that includes Oscar-winning actor Riz Ahmed, “Roseanne” alum John Goodman and “House of the Dragon” star Emma D’Arcy.
“Digger” is set to be released in theaters on Oct. 2.
