Here’s Why Steven Spielberg Credits Tom Cruise With ‘Saving Hollywood’s Ass’
Tom Cruise is one of Hollywood’s biggest icons. His career spans decades and includes many blockbuster movies, from Days of Thunder to Mission: Impossible. It’s almost fitting that Cruise should be the star responsible for the return of major Hollywood movies — since his 2022 action film Top Gun: Maverick is widely credited with doing just that. Even the iconic director Steven Spielberg is grateful to Cruise for what the actor did for the film industry, as he recently told the star at an exclusive Hollywood party.
Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise have a complicated history
Spielberg and Cruise have worked together on more than one occasion. In 2002, the two teamed up for the action thriller Minority Report. Cruise was at the height of his stardom at the time, and Spielberg was known as one of the greatest directors in Hollywood. Minority Report was a hit, and the pair went on to work together again three years later on War of the Worlds.
However, following the release of War of the Worlds, rumors swirled that Spielberg and Cruise weren’t on the best terms. According to Best Life Online, Spielberg wasn’t happy that Cruise was so outspoken about Scientology during the film’s press tour. It also bothered him that Cruise seemed to “play up” his controversial religion more than the movie itself.
Steven Spielberg thanked Tom Cruise for ‘saving Hollywood’s ass’
Cruise and Spielberg haven’t worked together on another movie since War of the Worlds. However, it seems as though any bad blood between the two icons has long since faded away. At a recent event, Spielberg went out of his way to congratulate Cruise on the success of Top Gun: Maverick.
In a video clip on YouTube, Spielberg can be seen going in to hug Cruise, and then telling him “You saved Hollywood’s ass, and you might have saved theatrical distribution. Seriously, ‘Maverick’ might have saved the entire theatrical industry.” The massive compliment seemed to strike Cruise speechless. All the actor can do in the clip is smile and shake his head.
‘Top Gun: Maverick’ has been nominated for six Academy Awards
Spielberg might not have been far off in his assessment that Top Gun: Maverick “saved” theatrical distribution. After multiple delays, the film was released exclusively to theaters in May 2022. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Cruise pushed for Paramount to hold Top Gun: Maverick for theatrical release and resist the temptation to release the film to a streaming service. This ultimately resulted in a massive opening weekend, as well as the highest-grossing domestic box office of 2022.
Top Gun: Maverick wasn’t just a financial success. The film has received massive critical acclaim and has been heralded as one of the best films of Cruise’s career. The accolades are still rolling in. Top Gun: Maverick is up for six Academy Awards, including the coveted Best Picture award.
The film’s success also proved that Cruise is still a major box-office commodity, even after four decades in the movie business. Clearly, he still has what it takes to pack a theater — and he’s showing no signs of stepping back from his role as an industry icon.
