Tom Cruise welcomed Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, to the world premiere of his new film “Digger” in London on Tuesday night, an event that doubled as this year’s Royal Film Performance for The Film and TV Charity.
Cruise took the stage after the screening at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square and thanked the royal couple directly. “We want to thank the royal highnesses for supporting this event, and just to tell them that we love them and we really appreciate what they do for the arts, for this country and for the world,” he said. He went on to praise producer Mary Parent and director Alejandro González Iñárritu, calling him “one of one” and saying he had admired the filmmaker’s work since his earliest features.
“Digger” casts Cruise as Digger Rockwell, a wealthy oil tycoon billed in the film’s synopsis as “the most powerful man in the world,” who scrambles to present himself as humanity’s savior after triggering a catastrophe of his own making. The satirical black comedy also stars Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg and Jesse Plemons, and opens in theaters Oct. 2 through Warner Bros. Pictures. It was shot largely at Pinewood Studios outside London.
The Princess of Wales arrived in a purple gown paired with a necklace identified as the Queen Mother’s Amethyst Sautoir, a piece originally given to the late Queen Mother by Queen Alexandra as a wedding gift in 1923. Organizers built a Leicester Square set piece around the film, including an Arctic Ocean-themed backdrop and props tied to Cruise’s character.
Tuesday’s appearance extends a friendship between Cruise and the Wales family that dates back at least to the 2022 London premiere of “Top Gun: Maverick,” where Cruise said he and William bonded over their shared love of flying. William trained as a search-and-rescue pilot in the Royal Air Force before stepping back from military service.
Earlier the same day, William visited a community cinema in Acton to serve popcorn to moviegoers, part of a broader push by the Prince and Princess of Wales to highlight independent screens across London.
