In a world where film budgets seem increasingly untethered from reality, Tom Cruise’s latest cinematic venture, *Digger*, has decided to embrace the chaos with a budget that must be whispered in hushed tones: a hefty $125 million—or as I like to call it, “pocket change for Hollywood’s elite.”
Tom Cruise’s nine-figure movie budget
In this upcoming black comedy directed by none other than Alejandro G. Iñárritu, viewers will be treated to a tale about the world’s most powerful man—and yes, he’s not just powerful in the “let’s donate to charity” sense, but rather in the “I accidentally caused a global disaster” way. A true hero in the age of over-budget films, right?
According to Puck’s very own Matthew Belloni, we’re in for a treat: “A high-budget original Iñárritu comedy—because who doesn’t want to see Tom Cruise in prosthetics panicking at the apocalypse? It’s basically next year’s *One Battle After Another*, which apparently costs more than your average space mission.”
Joining Cruise on this extravagant journey are a galaxy of stars: Riz Ahmed, Emma D’Arcy, Jesse Plemons, John Goodman, and the astounding Sandra Hüller, serving as a reminder that in Hollywood, it takes a village—or an entire cast of A-listers—to launch a mildly amusing premise into the stratosphere of excess.
*One Battle After Another*, boasting Leonardo DiCaprio and other stars you thought you’d never see together, may have cost between $130 and $175 million. At this rate, putting together a roast of this budget would cover the cost, but *Digger* already has us all wondering if it will include special effects that can only be afforded with a loan from a fictional bank.
Digger is Iñárritu’s first English-language film since *The Revenant*, which evidently set a precedent for every film to follow in its expensive footsteps. Speaking about *Digger*, originally dubbed *Judy* because why not change names like socks, Iñárritu declared: “I’m so excited. It was a great experience—Tom Cruise, Sandra Hüller, and a cast that could pay off your student loans in today’s economy.”
As he described it, this wild comedy “of catastrophic proportions” is an exhilarating ride through the mind of Cruise, who consistently manages to outdo himself in the art of absurdity. “It’s scary and funny,” Iñárritu said, “a brutal comedy of human nature. We’d like to think we’re exploring boundaries, but it’s mostly just an excuse for Tom to be Tom.”
The director concluded with an air of excitement mixed with a hint of existential dread: “Every film challenges me. I don’t like doing the same thing twice—unless, of course, it leads to another nine-figure budget.”
