Tom Cruise embarked on the most dramatic transformation of his career.
On Monday, Warner Bros. debuted the first trailer for Alejandro Iñárritu’s highly anticipated film, “Digger”, giving fans a glimpse of the 64-year-old actor in a role unlike anything he’s tackled in years.
Cruise portrayed Digger Rockwell, an eccentric oil magnate whose decisions put the world on the brink of catastrophe, ultimately compelling him to embark on an improbable mission to rescue humanity.
According to the film’s official synopsis, Cruise’s character goes on a journey to prove he is “humanity’s hero before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything.”
The trailer opened with Digger frantically worrying over his sick cat before erupting at an employee who suggested shutting down one of the company’s massive projects. It soon becomes clear that the venture could trigger an astonishing $18 trillion disaster, setting the stage for the film’s high-stakes story. Cruise is almost unrecognizable in the footage, sporting a dramatically different look as the unpredictable billionaire.
Fans on social media couldn’t ignore the jaw-dropping transformation. “Respect for the glow down king,” one user posted on X. “DIGGER looks hilarious already.” Another user wrote, “Can’t get over the way you look. Les Grossman vibe, I bet you had a blast making this film, you are just so amazing!”
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“Digger” marks Cruise’s first starring role outside the blockbuster “Top Gun” and “Mission: Impossible” franchises in years. The film is directed by Oscar winner Alejandro G. Iñárritu (“Birdman,” “The Revenant”) and is set to hit theaters Oct. 2.
Cruise first unveiled the trailer during a Q&A event in Los Angeles last week, where he praised the ambitious project and the creative partnership with Iñárritu.
“I have never had something that could challenge me in this way, and neither has Alejandro when we went in, ever,” Cruise said, per People. “And when you see this film, it’s totally original.”The ensemble cast also includes Jesse Plemons, Sandra Hüller, Riz Ahmed, Sophie Wilde, Emma D’Arcy, Michael Stuhlbarg and John Goodman.
Ahead of the trailer’s release, Cruise also expanded his social media presence by joining TikTok over the weekend to promote the film. The actor quickly amassed more than 1.4 million followers.