Some films don’t come together overnight, and Digger is proof of just how long a good idea can take to find its right form. Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu has now opened up about the unusual journey behind the film, revealing that what eventually became Digger started life as something else entirely, nearly a decade ago.
The idea first took root in 2017, when Iñárritu began working on the script with Mexican writer Sabina Berman. The challenge, as the filmmaker explained, was that the story was closely tied to real-world events, and those events kept shifting the ground beneath the script. “It took me ten years to do this film, because I wasn’t looking for a story. I was looking for the right way of saying it,” Iñárritu said.
That search eventually led him away from a straightforward narrative and into a more layered, dramatic format, one where Tom Cruise doesn’t just play the title role but takes on a second character too. Alongside Digger Rockwell, described as “the most powerful man in the world,” Cruise also plays Curtis, an actor, father, husband and artist who portrays Digger within the story itself. It’s a structural twist that reportedly reshapes how the film plays out entirely.
Cruise’s involvement dates back even further than the script itself. He and Iñárritu first began discussing the project in 2019, while Cruise was shooting Top Gun: Maverick, having long admired the director’s work since watching Amores Perros on its original release. Talking about finally making the film together, Cruise said, “When you see Digger, just the level of detail, the skill, the layers of making this film… he’s never made something like this before, nor have I.”
Also starring Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg and Jesse Plemons, Digger releases in theatres on October 2.
Also Read: Exclusive: “Working With Tom Cruise Was The Main Attraction for Me” – Riz Ahmed on Digger
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