Iñárritu’s ‘Digger’ Isn’t Based on a Book, and Its Origin Story Is Wilder Than You’d Expect

If you have been wondering what the ‘Digger‘ movie is based on, the answer might surprise you. Nothing in the coverage points to a novel, comic book or true story behind it. This Tom Cruise headliner grew out of an original script.

The film is billed by Warner Bros. as a comedy of catastrophic proportions from director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, and it lands in theaters on October 2. For a project with no built in fan base, it has generated a remarkable amount of chatter.

What the ‘Digger’ Movie Is Based On

The film is not an adaptation. According to Variety, it is based on a script Iñárritu co-wrote with his ‘Birdman’ collaborators Nicolas Giacobone and Alexander Dinelaris, along with Sabina Berman. That means the story springs from a writers room rather than a bestselling page.

Wikipedia’s credits list Iñárritu, Dinelaris, Giacobone and Berman among the writers, while Letterboxd also lists Jez Butterworth in the writing credits. In other words, several storytellers had a hand in shaping the material that eventually reached the screen.

The idea itself has been with Iñárritu for a long time. He told Deadline the concept began just after ‘The Revenant’, as a “relentless recurring obsession” rather than a script or a film. That is a fascinating detail for a movie that looks so unlike anything he has made before.

The Original Screenplay Behind Tom Cruise’s ‘Digger’

The partnership between the director and his star is a story on its own. Iñárritu pitched the idea to Cruise about seven years ago, and instead of mailing a screenplay he spent several days reading it to the actor in person. Cruise reportedly needed very little convincing.

Wikipedia notes the two began discussing the project in 2019 while Cruise was filming ‘Top Gun Maverick’, and that Cruise had long admired Iñárritu since seeing ‘Amores Perros’ on its original release. Iñárritu then made ‘Bardo’ before returning to this passion project.

The film was announced and Cruise officially cast in February 2024, following his strategic partnership with Warner Bros. Movie Insider points out that it is Cruise’s first film since signing that Warner deal, and Iñárritu’s first English language film since ‘The Revenant’.

Who Is Digger Rockwell and What Is the Story About

Cruise plays the title character, and he is barely recognizable. Variety describes him as Digger Rockwell, sporting a thick Southern accent, a pot belly and thinning white hair as a billionaire whose company may have triggered an ecological disaster that could spark a nuclear war. It is a far cry from the polished action hero fans know.

Deadline describes Digger as an oil baron charged with saving the day to avert an environmental catastrophe he caused in the first place. The official logline says the most powerful man in the world embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the disaster he unleashed destroys everything.

At CinemaCon, Cruise leaned into the transformation. He told the crowd it took 40 years for him to be able to put on the boots of Digger Rockwell, while Iñárritu said he was not prepared for watching Cruise become the character. That kind of talk suggests the actor sees this as a genuine career swing.

Digger Cast, Crew and Release Date

The supporting cast is stacked. Alongside Cruise, the film stars Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg and Jesse Plemons. That is a mix of prestige drama names and dependable scene stealers.

Behind the camera, the pedigree is just as strong. The film was shot in VistaVision on a camera designed in 1954, with Iñárritu reuniting with ‘The Revenant’ cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki. Warner Bros. also lists prosthetic designer Kazu Hiro and composer Cosmo Sheldrake among the team, with Iñárritu, Mary Parent and Cruise producing.

The film arrives in theaters and IMAX across North America on October 2, and internationally beginning September 30. Deadline has even run a related piece asking whether Cruise might finally win a competitive Oscar for it, so do you think a Southern fried billionaire with a combover is the role that finally gets Cruise to the podium?