Ed Ruscha Designs Original 'Digger' Poster, Unveiled at LACMA Ahead of Friday Release

Digger is getting the art-world treatment. Warner Bros. Pictures celebrated renowned American artist Ed Ruscha at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Sunday, unveiling an original poster design he created for Alejandro G. Iñárritu's new film starring Tom Cruise, which opens in theaters this Friday, October 2.

The event took place at LACMA's David Geffen Galleries, with Ruscha in attendance alongside Iñárritu, Cruise, and cast members including John Goodman, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, and Ross Hatt. Filmmakers behind the project, including producer Mary Parent, writer Nicolás Giacobone, casting director Francine Maisler, production designers Dennis Gassner and Richard Johnson, and costume designer Jacqueline West, were also on hand, along with Warner Bros. executives and notable figures from the art world.

Iñárritu, who said he had been struck by Ruscha's body of work during the artist's 2024 LACMA exhibition, called it an extraordinary honor to have Ruscha bring his eye to the film, praising the artist's rare ability to create an enormous sense of space with very little. After being shown the film, Ruscha produced what the studio described as something only he could have made.

A bold awards-season play

The film stars Cruise as Digger Rockwell, a wildly wealthy oil tycoon whose drilling operation in Greenland sets off an environmental catastrophe, forcing him to confront a crisis of his own making. The ensemble includes Riz Ahmed, Sandra Hüller, Jesse Plemons, John Goodman, and Michael Stuhlbarg, with cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki.

The LACMA celebration is the latest sign that Warner Bros. is positioning Digger as a prestige event rather than a conventional release. Early reactions from its September 22 London premiere were sharply divided, with some critics calling it a masterpiece and others finding it baffling, but few disputed that it is one of the year's boldest studio films. Audiences will get to decide for themselves on Friday.