Steven Spielberg proclaims to Tom Cruise he 'saved Hollywood' with 'Top Gun: Maverick'
- "You saved Hollywood's ass," Steven Spielberg told Tom Cruise at Monday's Oscar luncheon.
- "Seriously, 'Maverick' might have saved the entire theatrical industry," he also told Cruise.
In a rarely captured, candid moment between two movie titans, Steven Spielberg proclaimed Tom Cruise the savior of movies when the two had a brief encounter at the annual Oscars luncheon on Monday.
"You saved Hollywood's ass," Spielberg told his "Minority Report" star after the pair saw each other at the event. "And you might have saved theatrical distribution."
"Seriously, 'Maverick' might have saved the entire theatrical industry," the legendary director told Cruise.
It's hard not to argue with Spielberg. The release of "Top Gun: Maverick" following the pandemic brought a vital jolt to movie theaters.
In a time when most studios were pushing their titles on streaming services, Paramount stood firm and held the movie's release until people felt more comfortable returning to theaters.
That finally happened in May 2022 when "Maverick" opened and led to a historic box office run. Its more than $1.4 billion worldwide gross is the biggest of Cruise's career to date, and the movie was the biggest box-office earner since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic until "Avatar: The Way of Water" was released in December.
The luncheon takes place every year in Los Angeles before the Oscars where nominees mingle and take photos.
Spielberg's "The Fabelmans" and Cruise's "Top Gun: Maverick" are both nominated for best picture at this year's ceremony, which will air on Sunday, March 12.
Cruise has starred in two of Spielberg's blockbusters: 2002's "Minority Report" and 2005's "War of the Worlds."