Ed Ruscha has designed the poster for Alejandro González Iñárritu’s new film Digger, starring Tom Cruise and opening in North American theatres on October 2nd, 2026. The design was unveiled at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) on September 27th, alongside the artist, director and actor.
An ice shelf, a meltdown and Ed Ruscha’s signature typography
The poster bears Ruscha’s unmistakable visual language: the film’s title runs vertically through the centre against a slate-grey background framed in beige. A looming ice shelf dominates the composition, surrounded by phrases including “A Man. A Plan. A Meltdown.” and “Comedy equals tragedy plus time.”
The stark imagery captures the film’s collision of catastrophe and dark humour. After watching Digger at a screening six months ago, Ruscha described it as “kaleidoscopic in its message and its content and its humor,” recalling how he immediately wanted to design its poster.
The iceberg was central to Iñárritu’s vision, expressing the film’s uneasy relationship between humanity and nature. The director has long admired Ruscha’s work, while Cruise has also spoken of his appreciation for the artist.
A dark comedy on the edge of disaster
Digger follows oil tycoon Digger Rockwell, whose drilling rig in Greenland explodes, dislodging an enormous ice shelf. As the ice drifts towards Europe, the accident spirals into a global catastrophe.
Directed by Iñárritu, the satirical black comedy examines environmental destruction and humanity’s fraught relationship with nature. Alongside Cruise, the cast includes John Goodman, Jesse Plemons, Michael Stuhlbarg and Ross Hatt.
Ruscha and Iñárritu’s connection dates back more than two decades. In 2002, the filmmaker visited the artist’s Venice studio hoping to cast him in 21 Grams, though scheduling prevented the role. Their paths crossed again at LACMA, where both have been exhibited and honoured at the museum’s Art+Film Gala.
Digger poster (2026); Artwork © ED RUSCHA
