Tom Cruise returned to Westwood for the Los Angeles premiere of “Digger” on Monday, bringing a major Hollywood event to a theater just steps from UCLA.

Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Cruise’s latest film is a satirical comedy starring Cruise as Digger Rockwell – an ambitious oil tycoon racing to prove himself as a disaster he created threatens the world. The film is set to hit theaters Friday and also stars Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller and Michael Stuhlbarg.

At the premiere, the “Top Gun” actor was also joined by celebrities such as Jessica Alba and Kirsten Dunst. The carpet extended along Broxton Avenue, and a giant rust-covered shovel towered outside the entrance to the recently renovated Directors Village theater. Cheering fans and curious passersby filled the sidewalk outside Diddy Riese and Mr. Noodle and stretched out their arms to photograph the “Digger” lead. Members of the crowd carried “Rain Man” posters, and some UCLA students even arrived with boxes from Epicuria at Ackerman to greet the stars.

“I didn’t think there was going to be a movie premiere ten minutes from campus,” said Alisha Redlich, a first-year statistics and data science student.

[Related: More than a movie: The Bruin Theater’s reopening sparks community in Westwood]

Redlich stood next to the event’s barricade and said she called her parents to tell them about the event. The New Jersey native said the return of programming to Westwood theaters offered a chance for more opportunities like this one. While Redlich added that she saw the setup for the premiere the day before, she hadn’t known what to expect.

She said the chants of “Tom! Tom!”, which echoed throughout the area, only added to the event’s excitement. The 64-year-old actor wore a black suede suit and sunglasses as he stopped to greet fans. For several hours, Cruise posed for selfies, waved in videos and signed autographs. On the opposite side of the street, a vibrant orange backdrop featured the film’s title in bold white text, contrasting with the neutral hues of the restaurant exteriors behind. He later joined cast mates for the evening’s photo call.

Monday wasn’t Cruise’s first appearance at the historic theater. The actor previously walked the carpet for the premieres of “Without Limits” and “Eyes Wide Shut” in 1998 and 1999, respectively. Although the theater closed in 2024, it returned to programming this summer ahead of a planned $25 million restoration and 2027 reopening led by the Village Directors Circle – a collective of filmmakers brought together to save the theater – in partnership with the American Cinematheque, an LA-based nonprofit.

The venue has since hosted first-run films, classic screenings and filmmaker Q&As, including a three-week run of “The Odyssey” on 70 mm that drew sold-out crowds.

[Related: Directors Village theater draws crowds for ‘The Odyssey’ ahead of 2027 reopening]

For Alaina Fritz, a third-year student, events like the Westwood premiere offer a way for students to engage with the film industry close to campus and connect with others, as crowds gather in celebration of storytelling. Like Redlich, Fritz added that she isn’t from LA and was surprised to see celebrities so close to campus. She and her friend Tyra Larsson, who attended Santa Monica College with Fritz, had been passing by the area to meet friends for coffee.

“If you’re busy in school, you don’t have to go very far,” Larsson said. “You can actually be here and experience this. Even if you have a busy schedule, you can stop by. There should be more things going on up here.”

The premiere was one of several high-profile events at the theater since its return to programming. Four months earlier, the venue hosted the world premiere of Billie Eilish’s “Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour.” It also schedules events such as a Q&A with M. Night Shyamalan after a screening of the filmmaker’s Academy Award-nominated movie “The Sixth Sense,” which took place Tuesday.

The theater’s return puts UCLA students within walking distance of a venue programming both major Hollywood releases and repertory films, alongside industry events. For students preparing to enter the entertainment landscape, the offerings provide another accessible film-focused venue.

“Being film production majors, we really appreciate that sort of infrastructure coming back,” Fritz said. “Cinema has seen a big return this year. … We’re excited to hop into the industry and bring our stories.”