Tom Cruise surprises with his transformation in “Digger”, the new film by director Alejandro González Iñárritu. The American actor leaves behind his iconic role as an action hero to immerse himself in a physical and acting transformation that already places him as one of the great favorites for the next Oscars.

With this role, Cruise completely reinvents himself, after spending decades behind action characters and heroes. The 64-year-old actor decided to take a radical turn with “Digger,” his first collaboration with acclaimed Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu.

Iñárritu, Oscar winner for “Birdman” and “The Revenant,” achieved what seemed impossible: making Cruise shed his star image to become a completely unrecognizable character.

A radical transformation

The first trailer for 'Digger', published by Warner Bros., left fans and critics speechless. Cruise appears unrecognizable under an elaborate prosthetic and makeup job that gives him a paunch, thinning gray hair, and a visibly aged face.

His portrayal of Digger Rockwell—the eccentric billionaire oil magnate—goes beyond the physical. The actor completely modifies his voice, his gestures and his stage presence, moving away from everything he had shown in the last decade.

Cruise himself acknowledged that this project represents the greatest acting challenge of his career. “I've never had anything challenge me like this,” he confessed during the trailer presentation in Los Angeles. “This is the kind of movie I wanted to make movies for.”

The relationship between Cruise and Iñárritu began years ago, when the actor was fascinated by “Amores Perros” (2000). The Mexican director had been developing the project for a decade and, instead of sending him the script, he spent several days reading it personally to convey his vision.

About the plot

“Digger” presents a plot that mixes black comedy, satire and drama. The official synopsis describes the story of “the most powerful man in the world, responsible for a disaster that threatens to destroy everything and that now only he can prevent.”

Cruise's character, an oil tycoon, triggers an ecological disaster of catastrophic proportions that includes a tsunami and the threat of nuclear conflict. Iñárritu defines the film as a “comedy of catastrophic proportions where tragedy becomes the origin of humor.”

The luxury cast includes Sandra Hüller, John Goodman, Riz Ahmed, Jesse Plemons, Michael Stuhlbarg, Sophie Wilde and Emma D'Arcy. The film, shot over six months in the United Kingdom, features cinematography by Oscar winner Emmanuel Lubezki and is filmed in VistaVision format.