Tom Cruise sat down for a BAFTA "Life in Pictures" conversation in London on Monday night. The event covered his four-decade acting career.
Moderator Edith Bowman guided Cruise through roles in Top Gun, Jerry Maguire, Magnolia and the Mission: Impossible franchise. The conversation also touched on his upcoming film, Digger.
Cruise on AI's Role in Film
Bowman asked Cruise about artificial intelligence and its effect on the film industry. The question came after the Mission: Impossible franchise made AI the villain of its 2025 film, The Final Reckoning.
Cruise responded by saying human connection cannot be replaced. "There is nothing like human," he said during the talk.
He clarified that he has no problem with streaming platforms. He said watching a movie in a theater is simply a different art form from watching one at home.
Cruise pointed to this year's summer box office as evidence. Ticket sales from May 1 through Labor Day totaled $4.76 billion, an all-time record for the industry.
He said the numbers show people still want the shared experience of going to a theater. "People want that experience. They're going to movie theaters," Cruise said.
Cruise added that he believes in humanity's pull toward real, human-made stories. He said AI's growth is inevitable, but audiences will still seek out real things.
His advice to other creatives was simple. He said the answer to AI's rise is to keep creating.
Cruise Teases New Film "Digger"
Cruise also spoke about his next project, Digger. The film is directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, known for directing The Revenant.
In Digger, Cruise plays a wealthy oil tycoon. The role required a major physical transformation.
Cruise wore a fat suit and prosthetics for the part. He said the makeup process initially took six hours to apply.
Despite the demanding transformation, Cruise spoke highly of the script. He said he had never read a film quite like it before.
"It's the most original film and one of the most moving films I've ever seen," Cruise said of Digger. He gave no further details on a release date during the talk.
The BAFTA event closed out with Cruise reflecting on his career while looking ahead to future projects. His comments on AI and the theatrical experience were the main topic of discussion from the night.
