EXCLUSIVE: Alejandro G Iñárritu opens up on bringing Tom Cruise, Riz Ahmed, Jesse Plemons and more together for Digger: “Finding this EXTRAORDINARY ensemble was the film’s great gift to me”
Digger brings together one of modern cinema’s most acclaimed creative teams, led by five-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu, and featuring a celebrated ensemble of actors and an acclaimed team of collaborators behind the camera. Following the release of its final trailer, Iñárritu reflects on assembling his cast, led by Tom Cruise alongside Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, Emma D’Arcy and Sophie Wilde, calling the group a “dream.” For the filmmaker, securing the right actors together goes beyond talent; emotional range, physicality, and the connection between an actor and their character all play a part in finding the ensemble.
Speaking about the cast, Iñárritu said, “The cast was a dream: Tom, Sandra, John, Riz, Jesse, Michael, Sophie and Emma. Their faces are landscapes; their humour, intelligence and candour give them depth. I admire all of these actors deeply. Casting is a director’s most consequential gamble because when it fails, the actor is blamed for the director’s mistake. I focus on the emotional range an actor or actress brings, and how that and the physicality can resonate. Talent matters, but so does the mysterious fit between a person and a character. Finding both in this extraordinary ensemble was the film’s great gift to me.”
Tom Cruise stars in the title role alongside Oscar winner Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Oscar nominee Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg and Oscar nominee Jesse Plemons. Robert John Burke, Emma D’Arcy, Burn Gorman and Sophie Wilde also star in this film.
Iñárritu directed from a screenplay by Alejandro G Iñárritu and Oscar winners Alexander Dinelaris and Nicolás Giacobone, and Sabina Berman, from a story by Iñárritu and Berman. The film is produced by Iñárritu, Oscar nominee Mary Parent, Tom Cruise and Michael Sharp, and executive produced by Joshua Grode, Sabina Berman, Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolás Giacobone, Jez Butterworth and Emmanuel Lubezki.
Joining Iñárritu behind the camera are previous collaborators including Oscar-winning director of photography Emmanuel Lubezki; editors Conor O’Neill and Oscar winner Stephen Mirrione; Oscar-nominated costume designer Jacqueline West; Oscar-winning makeup and hair designer Alessandro Bertolazzi; and Oscar-nominated casting director Francine Maisler; alongside Oscar-winning production designer Dennis Gassner and production designer Richard Johnson, Oscar-winning prosthetic makeup designer Kazu Hiro, and composer Cosmo Sheldrake.
An Alejandro G. Iñárritu Film, Digger was shot entirely in VistaVision and will be released in Cinemas and IMAX® across India on 2nd October 2026. The film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
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