Tom Cruise held the Princess of Wales's hand and guided her down a flight of steps as he greeted the royal couple at the world premiere of his new film Digger in London.
The Prince and Princess of Wales laughed with Cruise at the red carpet event held at the Odeon Luxe in Leicester Square. Kate, wearing a floor-length royal purple gown by Jenny Packham, leaned forward to kiss the actor on both cheeks as he welcomed her and Prince William along with director Alejandro G. Iñárritu.
Royal jewels and celebrity guests
Kate wore the Queen Mother's amethyst sauron necklace, paired with pearl earrings that belonged to Diana, Princess of Wales. The necklace was also worn by Queen Camilla at the Royal World Premiere of Skyfall at the Royal Albert Hall in October 2012.
William looked dapper in black tie as he waved to the cheering crowd outside. Cruise, 64, had previously met the couple at the UK premiere of Top Gun: Maverick in May 2022. The royal couple also met Sir David Beckham and his sons Cruz and Romeo at the premiere on Tuesday evening.
Charity event and Cruise's transformation
The Royal Film Performance was held in support of the Film and TV Charity, which for more than 100 years has raised funds to provide support for people working in film, television and cinema.
Cruise turned heads at the premiere with a red hairstyle, a new look that came after a major transformation for his role in Digger, a black comedy directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. He wore a bodysuit and extensive prosthetic makeup to transform into eccentric oil tycoon Digger Rockwell.
The makeup process initially took up to six hours, but Cruise reportedly helped re-engineer it by timing every stage and rehearsing each application, reducing the process to less than an hour.
Film details and fan reaction
In the film, Digger helps cause a catastrophe and then goes on a frantic mission to convince the world that he is the person who can save humanity. The film is described as a satirical black comedy, featuring performances from Sandra Hüller, Riz Ahmed, Jesse Plemons, John Goodman and Michael Stuhlbarg.
Reacting to the trailer, some fans have tipped Cruise for an Oscar. One said: "I can't wait to see it... The snippets you have shared, look worthy of you receiving an Oscar!" Another added: "I can feel in this film the potential to win Oscars. Let's wait and see, guys!"
A brief synopsis teases: "The most powerful man in the world embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity's saviour before the disaster he's unleashed destroys everything." The trailer opens with a voiceover of Cruise's character saying: "Everything changes. One day you're a cat, or a king. Next day, you're just ashes in a box."
Iñárritu has previously won two Oscars for best director for Birdman and The Revenant. This will be Cruise's first film since the 2025 release of Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning. Digger will be released in cinemas on October 2, 2026.
