In an interview with Indiewire, Iñárritu and Ahmed discussed the challenges and eerie timeliness of bringing "Digger" to the screen. The film, which opens this Friday, delves into themes of ecological disaster, media manipulation, and the complicity of society in its own downfall, starring Tom Cruise as the titular oilman, Digger Rockwell, and Ahmed as a scientist.

The production itself faced a tumultuous journey, collapsing three times over a decade amid industry upheavals. Despite a hefty $125 million budget, Warner Bros. and Legendary ultimately backed the project, recognizing its unique vision. Iñárritu credits their boldness in supporting a film that defies easy categorization.

For Riz Ahmed, the film's themes hit particularly close to home during production. He recalled a moment in January 2025, while filming a confrontational scene with Tom Cruise on a private jet, when a raging wildfire threatened Los Angeles. Ahmed noted, "So much of what is explored, exposed, and satirized in this film was staring us right in the face." This real-world event underscored the uncomfortable parallels between the film's narrative and contemporary life.

Iñárritu shared a similar sentiment, observing that as the film evolved, reality seemed to outpace their satirical imagination. "We are living in a satire," he stated. "The more we stretched our imagination, reality was chasing and catching us." He initially conceived the film with the title "Blah, Blah, Blah," a reference to the deceptive power of language to distort perception, before settling on "Digger."

Tom Cruise's portrayal of Digger Rockwell marks a significant departure for the star, who underwent a substantial physical transformation to play a potbellied, drawl-speaking mogul. Iñárritu praised Cruise's commitment, noting how the physical change "liberated him to be playful, to suddenly get into the skin of another person that is not Tom Cruise, and he nailed it." Ahmed also lauded Cruise's precision and physicality, describing him as a meticulous and intuitive scene partner.

One of the film's most intriguing aspects is a major narrative twist that occurs about a third of the way through, which Iñárritu describes as "Brechtian." Both the director and Ahmed are tight-lipped about the specifics, hoping audiences will experience the surprise firsthand. Iñárritu revealed he conceived this structural shift during a hiking trip, realizing that a degree of separation was necessary for the audience to truly reflect on the story without immediate judgment.

Ultimately, "Digger" offers a stark warning about humanity's trajectory, but Iñárritu insists it's not about blame. He crafted a pivotal 10-minute speech for Digger, acknowledging both the destructive impact of oil and the comforts it provides. "I’m trying, through Digger’s speech, to say that we are all part of this madness," Iñárritu explained. "The system has trapped all of us, and we have to find a way out together."

"Digger" premieres in theaters on October 2, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.