‘Digger’ Star Tom Cruise Just Made the Ultimate Case for Why Movie Theaters Still Matter

Few actors have spent as much energy defending the theatrical experience as Tom Cruise, whose entire career has felt like an extended argument for why audiences still need to leave their living rooms. Between death-defying stunts and a relentless promotional schedule, he’s built a reputation as Hollywood’s most vocal champion for the big screen.

That advocacy took center stage once again this week during an unusually candid conversation about the industry’s future. Rather than dodge the uncomfortable subjects reshaping entertainment, Cruise leaned directly into questions about where movies are headed next.

Speaking at an intimate BAFTA “Life in Pictures” conversation in London on Monday night, Cruise addressed both the rise of artificial intelligence and the ongoing tension between streaming and theatrical releases. Rather than dismissing streaming outright, he offered a more nuanced take on why he still believes theaters hold something irreplaceable. “I have nothing against streaming or anything like that,” Cruise said during the event, according to Variety, describing the theatrical experience as simply “a different art form.”

Cruise didn’t rely purely on sentiment to back up his argument. He pointed directly to this past summer’s box office performance, which broke all-time industry records by grossing $4.76 billion between May 1 and Labor Day, as concrete evidence that audiences still crave communal moviegoing experiences.

“People want that experience. They’re going to movie theaters,” Cruise said, adding a line that’s since become the centerpiece of coverage from the event: “I always believe in humanity.” It’s a framing that positions theatrical moviegoing less as a business model worth preserving and more as a fundamentally human ritual audiences aren’t ready to abandon.

The conversation, moderated as part of BAFTA’s ongoing career-retrospective series, also touched on artificial intelligence’s growing role in filmmaking. Cruise didn’t shy away from acknowledging its inevitability, offering a surprisingly matter-of-fact assessment of where the technology is headed.

“You know, it is coming and it’s going to happen,” Cruise said of AI. “But people want to see real things.” He concluded his thoughts on the subject with a simple call to action for fellow creatives: “keep creating,” a sentiment that echoes his broader philosophy about prioritizing tangible, human-driven storytelling over shortcuts.

The event doubled as a look back across Cruise’s four-decade career, touching on landmark roles in ‘Top Gun,’ ‘Jerry Maguire,’ ‘Magnolia,’ and the ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchise that’s defined much of his recent output. But the conversation wasn’t purely nostalgic, with Cruise also previewing his upcoming film ‘Digger,’ signaling he has no plans of slowing down anytime soon.

A new trailer for ‘DIGGER’ has been released.

In theaters October 2. pic.twitter.com/kTEeFZI14E

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) September 9, 2026

That forward-looking energy fits neatly with the broader message he delivered throughout the night. Even while celebrating decades of past work, Cruise seemed far more interested in framing the conversation around what comes next for an industry grappling with rapid technological change.

Cruise’s comments arrive at a moment when the debate over AI’s role in filmmaking, along with streaming’s continued dominance, feels more urgent than ever across Hollywood. His willingness to engage with both topics directly, rather than avoiding them, adds a notable voice to an industry-wide conversation that shows no signs of slowing down.

Whether his optimism about theaters and human-driven storytelling proves prophetic remains to be seen, but few actors have put as much personal capital behind that belief as Cruise has over the years.

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