Warner Bros Unveils Tom Cruise's 'Digger' Trailer Ahead of October 2 Release

Q: Will shooting on vintage 1950s cameras give 'Digger' a timeless feel or seem like a gimmick?

It is more likely to give *Digger* a timeless feel than come off as a gimmick. The key reason is that VistaVision is not being used here as a novelty prop but as part of a serious high-end visual strategy. The format, developed in the 1950s, exposes a larger area of 35mm film, which typically produces finer grain, greater clarity and a richer, more organic image than standard 35mm. That can create the kind of large-format, classic cinematic texture filmmakers often describe as timeless. The creative team matters too. Alejandro G. Iñárritu and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki have strong reputations for using format and technique in service of mood and immersion, not nostalgia for its own sake. Their choice places *Digger* in line with a recent VistaVision revival on prestige projects, including *The Brutalist* and other director-driven films, suggesting the format is being treated as an artistic tool rather than a marketing hook. That said, whether audiences see it as timeless will depend on execution. If the visual language supports the film’s satirical, apocalyptic tone, the vintage cameras will likely deepen its identity. If the movie draws too much attention to the format itself, some viewers may still read it as self-conscious style. Based on the evidence so far, the odds favor substance over stunt: VistaVision appears to be part of *Digger*’s attempt to look distinctive, expansive and durable, not merely retro.

3 articles · Updated · Hollywood Reporter · Jul 13

Warner Bros released the first public trailer for Digger on Monday, kicking off the main promotional push for Tom Cruise’s October 2 theatrical release.
Cruise used the launch to frame the Alejandro G. Iñárritu film as the culmination of his 40-year career and a role unlike anything he has done before.
Iñárritu, speaking by video from London where he is finishing the film, said he conceived Digger after 2015’s The Revenant and approached Cruise about seven years ago.
The movie marks a sharp turn from Cruise’s franchise run, with heavy makeup and prosthetics in his first character-style transformation since Tropic Thunder.
Warner Bros is positioning Digger not just as a fall release but as an awards contender meant to remind audiences of Cruise’s three acting Oscar nominations.