Tom Cruise’s forthcoming movie Digger may have a goal it can’t reach, with a new report saying its budget is monumental. Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Digger is described as being about “the most powerful man in the world” who causes a disaster and then tries to frame himself as humanity’s savior. Digger also stars Riz Ahmed, Emma D’Arcy, Jesse Plemons, John Goodman, and Sandra Hüller.
Digger is slated for a theatrical release on October 2, 2026, and Puck‘s Matthew Belloni now reports that the upcoming movie has a nine-figure budget, commenting: “A high-budget original Iñárritu comedy—Warners is saying it cost $125 million, but I’m already suspicious—with Tom Cruise in prosthetics. Basically next year’s One Battle [After Another].“
Belloni references the box office conundrum of 2025’s One Battle After Another from director Paul Thomas Anderson, one of the clear frontrunners to win the 2026 Best Picture Oscar. Many believe that One Battle After Another is one of the best movies of the year, but its massive budget meant that it never hoped to turn a profit, despite being the director’s highest-grossing movie to date.
One Battle After Another, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Chase Infiniti, was reportedly made on a budget of anywhere from $130-175 million. Having grossed $205 million worldwide, it is estimated that One Battle After Another lost Warner Bros. around $100 million, despite its immense critical acclaim.
Digger‘s director is a two-time Best Director Oscar winner for The Revenant and Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). Iñárritu again partnered with Alexander Dinelaris and Nicolás Giacobone, and Sabina Berman, all writers of Birdman, to pen Digger. These talents, paired with the impressive cast, give audiences much reason to be interested in Digger.
Being predicted to be 2026’s One Battle After Another is a good thing, from one angle. However, this comment illustrates how big-budget productions are always facing an uphill battle when the ticket sales needed to break even may not be attainable, at least not in today’s box office climate. Things will be even more difficult for a (likely) R-rated original feature.
Scheduled for release later in 2026, Warner Bros. is apparently hoping that Digger will be an awards season contender in 2027, potentially competing with the likes of The Social Reckoning and The Odyssey. The legacy studio is coming off a very successful summer at the box office, but may be starting a concerning pattern of pouring funds into movies in order to get awards recognition.
- Release Date
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October 2, 2026
- Director
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Alejandro González Iñárritu
- Writers
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Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Sabina Berman, Alexander Dinelaris