‘Digger’ trailer unveils Tom Cruise as a blunt Southern-talking oil baron. He says: ‘It took me 40 years to become this character’

Warner Bros has officially released the first trailer for Digger, and it is a wild departure from the typical high-octane roles we usually see from Tom Cruise, Deadline reported. Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, the film features Cruise as Digger Rockwell, a blunt, Southern-talking oil baron with a noticeable potbelly.

The character is tasked by the U.S. President, played by John Goodman, with stopping a massive global iceberg crisis that he may have accidentally triggered himself. It is a bold transformation that feels reminiscent of his iconic turn as Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder, but with a much more cynical, modern edge.

The tone of the project feels like a modern take on Doctor Strangelove, perfectly suited for the current political climate. During an introduction reel at Warner Bros last Thursday, Alejandro G. Iñárritu set the stage for what audiences should expect. He noted, “Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourself, because Mother Nature loves motherfckers.” The director has been developing this project for a long time, noting that the idea began right after he finished The Revenant. He described the concept as a relentless recurring obsession that stayed with him for years

Iñárritu knew early on that Cruise was the only actor who could pull this off

The collaboration between the two has been years in the making. According to the director, they have wanted to work together since the beginning of the century. He shared his admiration for the actor, stating, “I admired him as an actor for years, and that wasn’t a surprise for me. The surprise was discovering that the human being behind the actor was just as extraordinary as the performances I will see throughout his career.” The physical transformation involved in the role was significant, leading Cruise to remark, “It took me 40 years to become this character.”

Cruise, who has been a fan of the director since his 2000 film Amores Perros, was immediately hooked when the concept was pitched. He recalled the moment the director showed him the vision for the character, saying, “Alejandro, he shows me, he’s like, ‘I want you to look like this.’ And it wasn’t like he said, ‘This is the kind of character.’ So, I’m thinking, ‘This guy’s got fcking balls,’ and I’m like, ‘I can’t wait. Let’s go.’”

For Cruise, the process is all about the details and finding the right way to communicate the essence of a role. He explained that his approach involves careful consideration of the tools, lenses, makeup, and even the color of his cowboy boots.

The technical craftsmanship behind Digger is just as impressive as the performance. The film was shot in VistaVision using a 1954-designed camera, reuniting the director with his Oscar-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki.

Cruise spoke highly of the production quality, noting, “I think when you see Digger, just the level of detail, the skill, the layers of making this film… He’s (González Iñárritu) never made something like this before, nor have I.”

This trailer is the same one that was first debuted to exhibitors during CinemaCon back in April. You can catch the full result of this unique partnership when Digger arrives in theaters on October 2.