Why 'Digger's Final Shot Took 6 Months To Plan Out [Exclusive]

• Collider's Steve Weintraub talks with Alejandro G. Iñárritu for Digger.
• In this spoiler conversation, the director explains his intentions behind that staggering final shot.
• The director breaks down how long the shot took, and the work that went into putting it on screen.

Digger, the latest from Oscar-winning filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu, has is now playing in theaters and IMAX, offering audiences quite possibly the most surprising performance from Tom Cruise to hit the big screen to date. The movie not only showcases Cruise’s range, stars an ensemble of talent, and is filmed in breathtaking VistaVision, but Digger also serves up food for thought. And while the meal may be heavy, Iñárritu was intentional in its delivery.

In the movie, Cruise stars as Digger Rockwell, a billionaire oil tycoon whose Greenland drilling project triggers global devastation. Digger fills its stunning sequences with unforgettable performances from Cruise, John Goodman, Riz Ahmed, Sandra Hüller, Jesse Plemons, and Michael Stuhlbarg, and ends with a single, sombering scene.

In an interview with Collider’s Steve Weintraub, Iñárritu discussed that final shot with us, breaking down the thought behind it as well as the technical logistics, its powerful message, and what the director wanted to avoid. Don’t miss the full conversation here.

The Power of Saying "Enough"

"No preaching."

Image via Warner Bros.

While talking to Iñárritu, Weintraub inquired about Digger's final, impactful shot. After two hours of what's being called "surreal, weird, funny,​​​​​​" and a "masterpiece," the movie ends in 2050, observing the fallout of the glacier's five-foot cataclysmic shift. Now, Iñárritu explains his intentions for the single shot:

"It took us six months to understand how to do it in one single shot. There were temptations even for me, writing, to keep following Digger — if somebody picks him up, if there's a commentary at the end — but suddenly, I said, 'Enough.' I think only one image cinematically has to speak everything with no preaching.

Just to say, for me, that we have normalized what should never have been normalized, that's the most powerful thing. There’s no fireworks. It’s just an ordinary day, and if, when we look that way in time, how we will see each other — that's what I want to say."

"It was very precise."

Having witnessed the grand scope of Digger, it's easy to assume something as massive as that last scene would have required a significant amount of time. In fact, according to Iñárritu, "It took months to design it, and honestly, incredible, in credit of the production, only two weeks to build that thing." Time, plus the craftsmanship of dedicated departments and "500 extras" with only a single morning to choreograph, and there you have it: a final shot that lingers long after the theater lights come up.

In the end, the power of Digger's closing moments isn't in how much it shows, but in what's left unsaid. For all the absurdity and spectacle, it's a world that's learned to live with the unthinkable that shakes you to your core.

Digger is in theaters now.