Steven Spielberg Told Tom Cruise That He "Saved Hollywood's Ass" and He Might Have "Saved the Entire Theatrical Industry"
Director Steven Spielberg and actor Tom Cruise are among Hollywood’s elite, and they have previously worked together on blockbusters Minority Report and War of the Worlds. The pair reunited at this year’s Oscar nominees luncheon, as Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical drama The Fabelmans is nominated for Best Picture alongside Cruise’s action sequel Top Gun: Maverick.
While there, Spielberg had a lot to say in praising his friend and colleague, telling him in a video originally shared on Instagram by director Kartiki Gonsalves (whose film “Who Can Say No to Baby Elephants!” is nominated for best documentary short film):
“You saved Hollywood’s ass and you might have saved theatrical distribution.”
Cruise was left blushing. Spielberg added:
“Seriously, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ might have saved the entire theatrical industry.”
Top Gun: Maverick was the second movie to gross over $1 billion at the worldwide box office amid the pandemic, following Spider-Man: No Way Home. With a $1.48 billion gross, Maverick ranks as the 11th highest-grossing movie in history worldwide (unadjusted for inflation). The film is the fifth-highest grosser at the domestic box office with $718 million.
While it came in second to No Way Home post-pandemic, it was seen as more of an underdog, as a Marvel flick within a trilogy has a pretty built-in fanbase expected to show up.
Maverick was a fantastic movie that had fans showing up again and again, and it really did feel like the big kickstart to getting us back to the movie theatres after the COVID-19 shutdowns had such a slow return.
The Oscars are sure to be kind to Top Gun: Maverick and The Fabelmans, as they were two of the very best this past year. Tune in to find out, or as always, check in at GeekTyrant, and we will keep you updated as to who wins what. The Academy Awards show is set to air on March 12 on ABC.
via: Variety