Steven Spielberg is caught on video telling Tom Cruise he saved Hollywood with Top Gun: Maverick. Cruise waited over three decades to finally make a sequel to his 1986 blockbuster Top Gun.
And when the sequel was finally in the can, the star and producer refused to let COVID stop him from giving the movie a full theatrical roll-out. The result was an even bigger blockbuster than the first film, as Maverick went on to gross 1.48 billion worldwide.
It’s likely not an exaggeration to say Top Gun: Maverick saved the summer of 2022 at the box office, but according to one of Cruise’s famous former collaborators, it could even be said that the action sequel saved Hollywood.
The stunning – but perhaps accurate – statement came from legendary director Spielberg, who was caught on video talking to Cruise at the recent Academy Luncheon, and could be heard praising his one-time War of the Worlds star’s efforts to swoop in like Maverick himself and rescue the industry. Spielberg was caught saying (via Marisatomay):
“You saved Hollywood’s ass. And, you might have saved theatrical distribution. Seriously. Maverick might have saved the entire theatrical industry.”
How Top Gun: Maverick Helped Save Movies (For A While)
It can be argued that the theatrical distribution model for movies was already in trouble before COVID came along and plunged the entire industry into further chaos. And it’s undeniably true that when COVID descended, throwing release schedules into utter disarray, many studios panicked and began switching to VOD and streaming releases rather than risk putting movies in theaters. Even big franchise films like Wonder Woman 1984 ended up with their theatrical runs being reduced in favor of VOD and streaming.
But Cruise famously refused to budge on sending Maverick to VOD, arguing that the movie was made to be seen on the big-screen. And Cruise was proven absolutely right when Maverick arrived. The movie ultimately dominated the summer of 2022 at the box office, pulling off the stunning feat of being #1 in America both on Memorial Day and Labor Day (the traditional bookends of the summer season).
But while Maverick undeniably helped save 2022 at the movies, it actually remains to be seen if its performance will be viewed as the moment all theatrical distribution was saved. It’s unfortunately also true that box office continues to struggle overall, despite the arrival of more hits like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Avatar 2. Perhaps history will agree with Spielberg in the end, but what Hollywood truly needs is a normal summer season filled with big releases, not a summer dominated by one huge fan-pleasing hit like Top Gun: Maverick.