About that Tom Cruise movie Digger — the budget’s even bigger than you were told

Turns out Tom Cruise isn't just gunning for another box office spectacle — he's banking on a bigger budget as well. His upcoming satirical dark comedy, Digger, has upped its price tag yet again, and considering Warner Bros.' recent run of underwhelming releases, there's a bit more riding on this one than just Cruise's reputation.

Digger will hit UK cinemas on 2 October 2026.

Budget Buys You… Something?

First, the numbers. Initial rumblings had Digger clocked at around $125 million, which is already on the hefty side for a so-called "satirical dark comedy". Now Variety has nudged that figure up to $130 million — which is the sort of money usually reserved for superhero destruction-fests or Cruise himself hanging from something very high without a harness. This time, though, he's working with Alejandro G. Iñárritu, who's got the director, screenwriter, and producer credit trifecta. Always good for the ego, if nothing else.

Worth noting: Warner Bros. has had a rough go of it lately, especially with so-called "surefire hits" that have fizzled harder than a flat pint. Just recently, The End of Oak Street pulled a tepid $47 million in its opening four days. Before that: Supergirl managed $126 million and change, and The Bride didn't even hit $24 million. So yeah — it's not surprising they're hoping Cruise and co. can turn the tide.

Digger's $130 million budget is $5 million higher than previous reports.

Plot, Cast, and a Bit of Cruise Lore

So what is Digger? According to the official blurb: "The most powerful man in the world embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity's saviour before the disaster he's unleashed destroys everything." Which sounds about right for a Cruise project in 2026 — very messianic, very apocalyptic, very much trying to out-Cruise the last Cruise film.

• Tom Cruise plays the lead, Digger Rockwell (yes, really)
• The surprisingly stacked cast also includes Sandra Hüller, John Goodman, Jesse Plemons, Michael Stuhlbarg, Riz Ahmed, Sophie Wilde, and Emma D’Arcy

Cruise himself is quite taken with this new creation. Here's what he told Variety regarding the character:

"It took 40 years for me to be able to put on the boots of Digger Rockwell."

Iñárritu can't help but hype his leading man, either, suggesting Cruise's usual daredevil energy is being channelled into something different this time. The director reportedly said it takes a whole other level of fearlessness for Cruise to inhabit this character — which is, let's be honest, exactly the sort of thing directors say when studios are holding their feet to the fire about budgets.

The first trailer dropped back on 13 July 2026 via Warner Bros., thus kicking off the inevitable months-long campaign of Cruise appearing everywhere from breakfast telly to mountaintop monasteries, probably. It'll be worth watching if the magic (and the budget) can actually pay off for Warner Bros. this time around.