Warner Bros' Tom Cruise starrer 'Digger' unlikely to premiere at fall festivals

Warner Bros’ upcoming dark comedy "Digger," starring Tom Cruise and directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, is unlikely to premiere at any major fall film festivals, according to Deadline. The film was previewed with an extended first look at CinemaCon 2026, where Cruise portrayed an eccentric oil tycoon named Digger Rockwell.

At the CinemaCon event held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Cruise appeared alongside Iñárritu to promote the movie, which is set for theatrical release in October. The director praised Cruise’s performance as “another kind of fearless,” highlighting the actor’s transformation into a challenging, multi-layered role.

Early footage shown at CinemaCon revealed Cruise unrecognizable with gray hair and a heavier physique as the billionaire character who inadvertently causes an ecological catastrophe. The presentation positioned "Digger" as a key Warner Bros title alongside other major releases such as "Dune: Part Three," which also featured at the event.

Notably, Cruise’s CinemaCon appearance was separate from Nicole Kidman’s, who promoted a different Warner Bros project without any shared appearances between the two. This underscores the studio’s strategy to individually spotlight their star-driven projects in the coming year.

With an October release date set, industry observers are watching closely to see how Warner Bros will position "Digger" for awards season and whether the choice to skip festival debuts will affect its critical reception and box office trajectory.