Spielberg lauded Cruise for saving Hollywood with Top Gun: Maverick. See how the picture revived box office and theater distribution.
Spielberg and Cruise lock eyes during the 2023 Oscars luncheon, and Spielberg goes full throttle. He tells Cruise, “You saved Hollywood’s ass, and you might have saved theatrical distribution. Top Gun: Maverick may have rescued industry!” And honestly? His execution was flawless. Maverick smashed the box office and revived movie theater buzz.
Cruise urged Paramount to keep the film off streaming until theaters reopened. It hit harder than a fighter jet in May 2022. Cruise made his most famous film after earning over $1.5 billion globally.
Spielberg’s praise isn’t baseless—it’s true. Hollywood was floundering post-pandemic, with cinemas faltering and studios depending on streaming. Maverick then showed why the large screen mattered.
Joseph Kosinski’s film recast Cruise as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, who trains a new group of pilots. With Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, and Glen Powell adding just enough excitement, it was the ultimate nostalgia trip. For action, callbacks to the 1986 original, or the great beach football sequence (let’s be honest), Maverick hit all the right notes.
Both its numbers and awards run were spectacular. The film received six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. Spielberg, whose semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans received seven nominations, knew Cruise’s film meant to Hollywood.
Yes, Cruise skipped streaming when everyone else panicked, but it paid off big time. Spielberg was right—this was an industry win, not just a cinematic success. According to Hollywood’s unwritten laws, Cruise is the king of salvaging movies.
Maverick, bravo. You revived Hollywood as well as flying.