Tom Cruise has spent years as one of Hollywood’s most visible champions of movie theaters. He now wants to clear up one assumption that has followed that advocacy. He does not have a problem with Netflix or television.
In a rare extended interview with GQ, Cruise said he has “nothing against cable or TV or Netflix,” pointing to the jobs those platforms create while discussing his preference for watching movies in theaters with other people.
He was less interested in disputing another part of his reputation. Asked about the intensity he brings to movie sets, Cruise said he tells collaborators that “the rumors are true” and makes clear from the beginning that he expects a lot from the people working with him. Variety highlighted both admissions from the interview.
Cruise is discussing those parts of his career as he prepares for Digger, his new film with Alejandro G. Iñárritu. The original comedy gives Cruise his first non-action, non-franchise lead in many years and puts him in a role far removed from Ethan Hunt and the large-scale action films that have dominated the latest stage of his career.
Cruise Says Netflix Is Not the Enemy
Cruise remains committed to the theatrical experience. He told GQ that what appeals to him about cinema is having people come together in one room and experience a movie at the same time. His support for theaters, however, does not extend to dismissing television or streaming.
Cruise also credited Netflix with giving younger viewers access to movies from different periods of an actor’s career. When the interviewer suggested that some younger audiences may primarily know him as an action star, Cruise disagreed and pointed to the ability of streaming libraries to keep older films circulating around the world.
Cruise’s association with theatrical exhibition became especially prominent during the release of Top Gun: Maverick. Entertainment Weekly noted that Steven Spielberg later thanked Cruise for the film’s contribution to theatrical distribution after the pandemic. The 2022 sequel became one of the biggest commercial successes of Cruise’s career.
His comments to GQ draw a line between his personal preference for theatrical moviegoing and the broader role streaming services play in the industry. Cruise continues to promote theaters while acknowledging that television and streaming provide work and make films from earlier decades accessible to new audiences.
The Rumors About His On-Set Intensity Are ‘True’
Cruise was more amused by questions about his reputation for intensity. He said people who work with him know how hard he works and that he is upfront about expecting the same commitment from his collaborators.
He described telling people directly, “Trust me, the rumors are true.” Cruise said that intensity was already part of his personality when he was a child. When something interested him, he wanted to learn about it and understand it as completely as possible.
Cruise said he keeps his phone as far away from himself as possible and asks crew members to speak to him directly rather than send lengthy emails. On days when he is not shooting, he is usually studying or preparing for another project instead of taking a complete break from work.
Glen Powell has previously discussed another example of Cruise’s preparation. Cruise created a six-hour instructional film for younger actors covering screen acting and filmmaking. In the GQ interview, Cruise explained that the material included fundamentals such as camera lenses, framing and the different layers involved in visual storytelling.
The goal, according to Cruise, was to give actors enough technical knowledge to understand how the camera and frame affect a performance before eventually internalizing those concepts. Powell previously said Cruise arranged for him to watch the lengthy presentation in a Los Angeles theater.
‘Digger’ Gives Cruise a Very Different Kind of Role
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The GQ interview accompanies Digger, Cruise’s new film with Iñárritu. Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, an enormously powerful businessman who races to convince the world that he can save humanity from a catastrophe he helped unleash.
Cruise called it the most challenging character of his career. The role moves him away from the athletic action star image associated with Ethan Hunt and Maverick, while prosthetics, makeup and a dramatically different physical appearance transform him into Rockwell. The film has been promoted as a comedy built around an escalating global disaster.
Cruise and Iñárritu had been discussing working together for years before production began. Cruise told GQ that conversations about the project dated to around 2018 or 2019, while Iñárritu spent approximately a decade developing the film.
Production also brought Cruise back to Pinewood Studios, where he previously worked on films including Legend, Interview With the Vampire, Mission: Impossible and Eyes Wide Shut. Cruise described a movie set as “home” while discussing his return to the studio.
Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures will begin the international theatrical rollout of Digger on September 30, 2026. The film reaches theaters and IMAX in North America on October 2.