The new Tom Cruise film Digger will premiere unofficially in Russian cinemas on October 8, local theater operators have announced. The screening date comes one week after the movie makes its global debut on October 2.
Warner Bros, the Hollywood studio behind the project, will not distribute the film officially in Russia following its exit from the country's market. Russian theaters will instead show the movie using a Russian language dub produced for neighboring countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States. Some domestic cinema chains are scheduled to start showing the feature on Saturday, October 10.
Plot details and starring cast
Digger centers on the story of the most powerful man in the world, who sets out to prove that he is capable of saving everyone on the planet. His efforts lead him into a highly complex mission that ultimately changes his fate. The creators of the film have described the storyline as a comedy of catastrophic proportions.
Tom Cruise leads the cast after recently starring in Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning. The film also stars Jesse Plemons of Bugonia, Sandra Hüller of Cleaner, and Riz Ahmed of Sound of Metal. Alejandro González Iñárritu directed the picture, following his previous work on Birdman and The Revenant.
Studio exit and CIS distribution background
Warner Bros is a major American media company that joined other Hollywood studios in halting official theatrical distribution in Russia. Since the studio departure, Russian movie theaters have relied on unofficial distribution practices to secure major releases, acquiring prints from regional markets across neighboring states.
The Commonwealth of Independent States serves as a key distribution region where theatrical films are routinely dubbed into Russian for localized release in member nations. Russian theater chains utilize these CIS audio dubs to present mainstream Western features to domestic audiences despite official studio bans.
Director Alejandro González Iñárritu is a renowned Mexican filmmaker who has won multiple Academy Awards for directing and producing. Lead star Tom Cruise is widely recognized as one of global cinema's most enduring action stars and box office draws.
Following the global premiere on October 2, Russian cinemas will begin screening Digger on October 8, with additional theater chains adding the movie by Saturday, October 10.
