Tom Cruise unveils ‘Digger’ role after four decades of acting

Tom Cruise has revealed that it took him four decades of acting to be able to play the role of an eccentric oil magnate in the dark comedy “Digger”, which is set to be released in cinemas in October, Reuters reports.

Cruise presented the first footage from the film on Tuesday at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.

The footage shows the 63-year-old actor transformed into Digger Rockwell — an older man with graying hair, a belly, a southern accent, and a love for cats.

In the film, Rockwell accidentally triggers an ecological disaster that brings humanity to the brink of nuclear war, after which he tries to save the planet.

“It took me 40 years to step into the role of Digger Rockwell and portray the many, many layers of this character,” Cruise said. “The film is crazy, it’s funny, and I can’t wait for you to see it.”

The movie, distributed by Warner Bros., will hit theaters in October.

Joining Cruise on stage was director Alejandro Inarritu, an Oscar-winning filmmaker known for Birdman and The Revenant.

Iñárritu said he first discussed the project with Cruise seven years ago. At the time, Cruise was filming Top Gun: Maverick and came immediately on his motorcycle when the director invited him to meet.

“We know he is brave — stunts, planes, jumps,” Iñárritu said. “But this is a different kind of courage. This role may be his most challenging yet. It’s a real acrobatic feat.”

Cruise opened Warner Bros.’ showcase of upcoming films, as the studio celebrates a commercially successful year and 11 Oscar wins.

Meanwhile, Zendaya, Timothee Chalamet, and Jason Momoa promoted Dune: Part Three, which will conclude the sci-fi trilogy and is set for release in December.

The story takes place 17 years after the events of the second film.

“Time has not been kind to the characters in Dune,” Zendaya said. “They’ve gone through very difficult years, full of challenges, and there is still a lot worth fighting for.”