Director Steven Spielberg credited Tom Cruise and his performance in Top Gun: Maverick with saving the film industry.
“You saved Hollywood’s ass,” Spielberg told Cruise during a brief encounter at the Oscars luncheon earlier this week. “And you might have saved theatrical distribution.”
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As Cruise tried to dismiss the compliment, Spielberg said: “Seriously, Maverick might have saved the entire theatrical industry.”
The Top Gun sequel’s release was held off by Paramount until May 2022, when the studio felt people would be more comfortable returning to theaters following the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Maverick proved to be Cruise’s biggest box office hit yet, with more than $1.4 billion grossed worldwide.
Until Avatar: The Way of Water was released in December, Maverick sat atop the box office list of films with the largest earnings since the pandemic began.
