Spielberg praised Tom Cruise: You saved Hollywood!

According to foreign media Hollywood Reporter, great director Spielberg praised Tom Cruise at the 2023 Academy Luncheon on Monday, saying that Tom Cruise saved Hollywood.

The iconic film director privately whispered in Cruise's ear that last year's Top Gun sequel, Top Gun 2, may have single-handedly saved movie theaters.

"You really saved Hollywood, and you may have saved theatrical distribution. Seriously, Top Gun 2 may have saved the entire theater industry." Tom Cruise looked very humbled and shook his head at Spielberg's praise.

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During the epidemic, Tom Cruise firmly urged Paramount Pictures to keep the theatrical release of "Top Gun 2" and resisted the temptation to release the film to streaming services.

Spielberg and Cruise have a long-standing relationship, including working together on 2002's "Minority Report" and 2005's "War of the Worlds."

"Top Gun 2" eventually became the highest-grossing film in the United States in 2022 with a box office revenue of 718 million US dollars. Combined with overseas box office, the total box office was 1.5 billion US dollars.

The 2021 blockbuster "Spider-Man 3: No Home" was also widely credited with helping to revive the post-pandemic moviegoing boom, but "Top Gun 2" was credited with breaking the usual dominance of superhero movies and bringing older moviegoers back to theaters.

"Top Gun 2" received six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, while Spielberg's acclaimed biopic "Dream House" was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director.