Tom Cruise and director Alejandro González Iñárritu visited the MAPPA EXPO 15th Anniversary exhibition in Japan on October 9 to celebrate the anime studio’s 15th anniversary.
The two filmmakers explored exhibits featuring JUJUSTU KAISEN, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, and Attack on Titan: The Final Season. They also took part in a roundtable discussion with MAPPA animator Teishi Hiramatsu, sharing their views on filmmaking and animation.
While viewing the original drawings for JUJUSTU KAISEN, Tom Cruise asked how much of the animation was created by hand. Hiramatsu explained that younger animators mainly use digital tools today, but he believes learning to draw on paper remains important. Cruise agreed, highlighting the artistic value of traditional techniques.
During the discussion, Iñárritu praised the similarities between animation and filmmaking, explaining how every detail, from the environments to the sound design, helps build a story’s world. Hiramatsu also praised Cruise’s performance in DIGGER, saying the film’s visuals, music, and sound were best experienced on the big screen.
Cruise described DIGGER as one of the most original films he had ever worked on, expressing his gratitude for the opportunity to create the lead character with Iñárritu.
At the end of the event, Hiramatsu presented the two guests with original illustrations of Digger Rockwell, the protagonist of DIGGER. The illustrations featured the message, “There is TRUTH within a LIE,” which Cruise and Iñárritu recognized as a central theme of their film:
The visit ended with the pair exploring more of the exhibition, including the Attack on Titan: The Final Season display featuring the Rumbling.
Source: Comic Natalie
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