How to watch Digger: When is it released in UK cinemas?

One of the most anticipated movies of 2026 – and one that's already generating an Oscar buzz before it's even been released – Digger is fast approaching.

The latest film from Birdman and The Revenant writer-director Alejandro G Iñárritu, Digger's tagline – "a comedy of catastrophic proportions" – has been etched into the minds of moviegoers since the teaser first dropped back in December 2025.

Almost a year later, the movie is nearly here – though audiences are still pretty heavily in the dark about what's going to happen in the film.

It boasts a seriously high-profile cast (including an almost unrecognisable Tom Cruise) and seems designed to appeal to cinephiles: the film was shot entirely on VistaVision film stock, giving it a distinct visual style and building upon the recent resurgence in the format.

There's a lot of hype for Digger, so read on for everything you need to know about how to watch the film as soon as possible.

Digger releases across UK cinemas on Friday 2 October.

For fans of premium formats, the film will be releasing in IMAX and – as was the case with last year's One Battle After Another – will receive a special release in VistaVision at the ODEON Leicester Square in London.

This rare format was used to film the entire movie, so it's the option to pick for die-hard film buffs.

Digger cast: Who stars in the film?

Led by Tom Cruise, Digger has an all-star cast that lives up to – and perhaps supersedes – Iñárritu's previous movies.

Birdman starred Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, and Edward Norton, while The Revenant boasted Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson and Will Poulter.

With Cruise as the eponymous Digger Rockwell, the movie also stars Riz Ahmed, fresh from his own TV series Bait which released earlier this year, as Ganesh.

Additionally, John Goodman stars as the President, Sandra Hüller appears as Digger's sister Emma Rockwell, and Jesse Plemons plays Kenny.

The full list of confirmed cast for Digger is available below:

• Tom Cruise as Digger Rockwell
• Riz Ahmed as Ganesh
• John Goodman as President Compson
• Sandra Hüller as Emma Rockwell
• Michael Stuhlbarg as Vice President
• Jesse Plemons as Kenny
• Robert John Burke as Fitzgerald
• Emma D'Arcy as Lina
• Burn Gorman as Amos
• Mercedes Hernández as Digger's Housekeeper
• Danny Kirrane as Sandy Clarkson
• Pip Torrens
• Sophie Wilde

Digger plot: What is the movie about?

Details on the plot for Digger have been kept deliberately slim, but from the looks of things, the movie focusses on Digger Rockwell, 'the most powerful man in the world', who is forced to save humanity from a disaster that he unleashed himself.

Comparisons have been made to Stanley Kubrick's 1964 classic Dr Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, with users on social media noting the similar 'doomsday' narrative and race-against-the-clock backdrop to the movie.

It's unclear so far how the wide cast of characters will factor into Digger's mission to save the planet, but theories are running wild online.

It has also been suggested that this film may take another cue from Strangelove, as well as Iñárritu's Birdman, in that the plot may take place in real time...

Is Digger a musical?

Partly due to the lack of concrete information, there had been speculation online from the beginnings of Digger's announcement that it might be a 'secret Tom Cruise musical' – the 'Cruisical', as some online users have dubbed it.

A recent Nerdist article examined some of these suggestions, with users highlighting certain shots from the trailer that appear to show background actors' mouths moving in sync – as though performing a musical number.

While the idea is tantalising (and the way Cruise is moving in theses trailers is certainly something extraordinary), it's looking like these rumours may have been just rumours after all.

Variety recently reported that some insiders close to the film have confirmed that Digger is not, in fact, a musical.

Digger trailer

You can watch the trailer for Digger below.

Digger releases in cinemas across the UK, including in IMAX where available, and in VistaVision, on Friday 2 October 2026.

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