Tom Cruise cemented his standing as Hollywood's premier action star across eight installments of the "Mission: Impossible" franchise, from the 1996 original to last year's "Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning." Known as a master of the form for performing his own high-risk stunts, the actor takes a sharp turn in his new film "Digger," playing Digger Rockwell, an eccentric, old-fashioned billionaire with a sagging belly and thinning hair.
Speaking at a news conference for "Digger" at the Conrad Seoul in Yeouido on the 1st, Cruise set a record for the most visits to Korea by a Hollywood actor with his 13th trip. Asked how it felt, he said, "It feels really good. I'd like to come 30 more times," adding, "I'm delighted to be here with all of you on such a beautiful day to share 'Digger.'"
"Digger" follows the fallout when a small crack at Digger Rockwell's glacial drilling facility in Greenland escalates into a global catastrophe. The film is the latest work from director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, who won best director at the Cannes Film Festival for "Babel" and claimed consecutive Academy Awards for directing with "Birdman" and "The Revenant." Iñárritu had been scheduled to travel to Korea with Cruise but announced a day earlier that he would not attend.
Cruise's transformation in the film has drawn attention for its departure from the action persona that defined his career. He described the title character as "a truly multilayered character and person," calling it "a character I had never heard of or seen before." He said Iñárritu had spent nine years developing the project. "I came on board in 2019," he said. "A producer contacted me on the first day of shooting 'Top Gun: Maverick.'" Cruise also recounted riding a motorcycle to Iñárritu's office while filming that movie. "We talked for hours, not only from a cinematic perspective but on every level," he said, calling "Digger" "another level" in filmmaking.
The film has drawn praise both for its craft and for Cruise's command of the character, and he is being mentioned as a strong contender for the Academy Award for best actor. Asked about his expectations, he said, "I always make movies regardless of what people think or how they judge them," adding, "Everything that comes with making a film, including the excitement of opening day — film is centered on story, and the privilege of creating stories is what matters to me."
Cruise also spoke about the film's distinctive value from his vantage point as a producer. "It's a reflection on human nature that goes beyond politics," he said. "Beyond the satire, there are many other stories within the film." He added, "You can find that not only in the enormous scale but in every small gesture," expressing hope that "audiences can look back on this meaning sincerely through the film and talk openly with one another." He also said he hoped the political satire would not come across as too earnest, noting that the same applies to studying art, philosophy and history — ultimately it has to be entertaining. "I think it's successful if viewers can end up smiling, and our film was made with that intention," he said. "We talk about political satire, but there's humor inside it. In the end, we told it as a comedy you can laugh at." The film opens on the 3rd.
