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More than three decades after his first Oscar nomination, Tom Cruise is finally set to receive an Academy Award — though not for a specific performance. The 62-year-old actor will be honored with an Honorary Oscar at the upcoming Governors Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Tuesday. Joining Cruise in receiving honorary statuettes are choreographer and producer Debbie Allen and production designer Wynn Thomas, while Dolly Parton will be recognized with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her long-standing philanthropic work, particularly in literacy and education. “These four icons have made lasting contributions to film and beyond,” Academy President Janet Yang said. “Their impact on the industry and the broader creative community continues to inspire.” Although Cruise has been nominated four times — including Best Actor nods for Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire, a Supporting Actor nomination for Magnolia, and a Best Picture nomination as a producer of Top Gun: Maverick — he has never won a competitive Oscar. He’s also been a major advocate for the cinematic experience, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yang highlighted Cruise’s “tireless dedication to filmmaking, theatrical releases, and the stunt industry.” Debbie Allen, 75, despite her extensive work across dance, acting, and production, has never received an Oscar nomination. However, she has choreographed seven Oscar ceremonies, four of which earned Primetime Emmy nominations. Wynn Thomas, another first-time Oscar honoree, is known for his collaborations with director Spike Lee on films such as Malcolm X, Do The Right Thing, and Da 5 Bloods. His production design work has featured in numerous Oscar-nominated films, including the Oscar-winning A Beautiful Mind. Dolly Parton, a two-time Oscar nominee for Best Original Song (9 to 5 and Travelin’ Thru), will be honored for her humanitarian efforts through initiatives like the Dollywood Foundation and Imagination Library, which distributes free books to children worldwide. Yang described Parton as embodying the values of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. The 2024 Governors Awards will take place on November 16 at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles. The event, which honors lifetime achievement and service to the film industry, will not be televised. Last year’s recipients included the late Quincy Jones, Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, and filmmaker Richard Curtis. Honorees are chosen by the Academy’s Board of Governors, recognizing those who have made enduring contributions to cinema and the arts.   

Tom Cruise is making his return to the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday, three years after debuting Top Gun: Maverick there. This time, he arrives with Mission: Impossible — Final Reckoning, the latest entry in the action-packed franchise directed by Christopher McQuarrie. The film is the most prominent Hollywood blockbuster featured at Cannes this year, further intensifying attention on Cruise’s appearance at the festival. Suriya’s ‘Retro’ Roars: A Bold Comeback With Myth, Action, And Box Office Glory Back in 2022, Cruise was honored with an honorary Palme d'Or and surprised festival-goers with a dramatic fighter jet flyover during the Top Gun premiere. With the 62-year-old actor known for grand gestures—like his recent rooftop appearance at the British Film Institute in London—expectations are high for what he might do this time. The Final Reckoning premiered in Tokyo last week and is set for release in North American theaters on May 23.

Tom Cruise, while receiving a British Film Institute Fellowship, has called on aspiring actors to immerse themselves in the technical aspects of filmmaking, criticising film schools for not doing enough to teach production tools and technology. According to the Times of London, Cruise used the prestigious moment to stress the importance of actors understanding elements like lighting and camera blocking, suggesting that strong performances rely on much more than acting alone. His comments were later reported by Variety. “It is important to understand the tools around you,” Cruise said. “There is tech. It is like understanding the stage as an actor but for a lot of artists it is not taught in film school: how to understand the lens and what it can do, and why there is eye movement and recognise the effect it has.” Cumberbatch to executive produce 6-part series ‘The Annecy Murders’ The actor, known for his detailed preparation and hands-on approach to filmmaking, also said he encourages young performers to explore every stage of production. “I always tell actors, spend time in the editing room, produce a movie, study old movies, recognise what the composition is giving you, know what those lenses are, understand the lighting and how to use it for your benefit,” he added. “Understand the art form to that degree. Brando absolutely understood lighting; all the greats did.” So passionate is Cruise about this message that he created a six-hour film school video to educate emerging actors. Glen Powell, who starred alongside Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick, revealed in a GQ UK interview last year that he watched the full session alone in a cinema. “He said, ‘This is just for my friends’,” Powell recalled. “[In the video Cruise] is like, ‘Do we all agree that this is what a camera is? This is the difference between a film camera and a digital camera…’ The funniest part is on flying. It was like he put together this entire flight school. So he would literally go, OK, this is what a plane is. Here’s how things fly. Here’s how air pressure works.” Cruise also told Powell that for a film to be a global success, it must “telegraph universal emotions” and “hit on anxieties that everyone can relate to.” His next release, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, opens in UK and US cinemas on May 23.

After decades of redefining spy cinema, Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible saga prepares to launch the franchise’s boldest adventure yet. Arriving in theatres on May 23, 2025, the 8th installment officially claims the title of the longest runtime in the history of the film series. With tension and daring action at its peak, the next mission is poised to leave an enduring mark. Let’s dive into how Mission: Impossible (M:I) 8 - The Final Reckoning elevates the thrilling legacy to new heights. Direction, Cast, and Plot of Mission: Impossible 8  Subtitled ‘The Final Reckoning,’ this spy action film thrives under the direction of Christopher McQuarrie, who co-wrote its screenplay with Erik Jendresen. Picking up the pieces after ‘Dead Reckoning Part One,’ the next chapter in the M:I saga dives deeper into Ethan Hunt’s high-stakes battle against the formidable AI known as the Entity. Armed with vital knowledge, Hunt races to reunite his loyal team and track down the sunken Russian submarine rumoured to hold the Entity’s source code — the only hope to dismantle it. Read more: China's Ne Zha 2 Stays Atop Hollywood's ‘A Minecraft Movie’ at the Worldwide Box Office Cruise once again leads the charge, joined by returning forces Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Henry Czerny, and Angela Bassett. Alongside them, Pom Klementieff adds new energy, while Vanessa Kirby returns to continue her arc from the first Reckoning film. McQuarrie and Cruise drive production under the banner of Skydance Media and TC Productions, respectively. Franchise’s Latest Film 'The Final Reckoning' with the Longest Runtime According to Paramount Pictures, The Final Reckoning is set to deliver an epic runtime of 2 hours and 49 minutes (169 minutes). This marks a major jump from the first Mission: Impossible film (1996), which kept things tight at just 110 minutes, the shortest in the entire saga. Even ‘Dead Reckoning Part One’ slightly trailed behind, clocking in at 2 hours and 43 minutes (163 minutes). Read more: South Indian Films Releasing in May 2025: Must-watch Lineup M:I 2 (2000) ran for 124 minutes, M:I 3 (2006) stretched to 126 minutes, and Ghost Protocol (2011) reached 133 minutes. Rogue Nation (2015) slightly dipped to 131 minutes, while Fallout (2018) expanded to 147 minutes. Aside from the small exception of Rogue Nation, each installment has steadily grown in length. Now, the Reckoning duology has formed a two-part story. Fans gearing up for this grand finale should set aside a combined 5 hours and 2 minutes (332 minutes) of pulse-pounding adventure. Longest Film of Ethan Hunt’s, Not Tom Cruise’s Despite its impressive length, MI’s eighth installment does not claim the title of Cruise’s longest film. That distinction belongs to Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia, the 1999 psychological drama. It unfolds over a sweeping 3 hours and 8 minutes (188 minutes). Read more: Kesari Chapter 2 Review: Akshay Kumar Fronts a Bold Patriotic Courtroom Saga Still, this M:I movie secures a strong second place in Cruise’s filmography, edging just ahead of Dead Reckoning Part One.

Tom Cruise is back in action with more death-defying stunts in the new trailer for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, set to hit theaters on May 23. This latest instalment could mark the end of Cruise’s iconic role as IMF agent Ethan Hunt, as The Final Reckoning teases a dramatic conclusion to the Mission: Impossible series after eight films, according to Variety. Originally pitched as a sequel to 2023's Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, the film continues the storyline cantered on Hunt’s desperate mission to prevent a rogue AI program, known as The Entity, from falling into dangerous hands and threatening global security. Cruise once again leads a star-studded ensemble, including series regulars Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Vanessa Kirby, Hayley Atwell, Esai Morales, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, and Pom Klementieff. The film also introduces several new faces to the franchise, such as Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham, Nick Offerman, Lucy Tulugarjuk, Katy O'Brian, Tramell Tillman, and Stephen Oyoung. Oscars to add stunt design award for its 100th ceremony As expected, audiences can look forward to the franchise’s signature high-stakes action, with Cruise performing gravity-defying stunts. Among the jaw-dropping sequences is an underwater submarine pursuit, as well as a scene where Cruise clings to the outside of a moving aircraft. In a recent interview with Empire, Cruise opened up about the physical challenges of filming these intense scenes, “When you stick your face out [of an airplane], going over 120 to 130 miles an hour, you’re not getting oxygen.” “So I had to train myself how to breathe. There were times I would pass out physically; I was unable to get back into the cockpit.”

Tom Cruise opened his highly anticipated CinemaCon appearance on Thursday with a moving tribute to his “Top Gun” co-star, Val Kilmer, who died Tuesday in Los Angeles. “He loved movies and he gave a lot to all of us with his performances and his films,” Cruise said to a room full of movie theatre owners. “I really can’t tell you how much I admired his work, how much I thought of him as a human being, and how grateful and honoured I was when he joined ‘Top Gun’ and then came back for ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’” Cruise called for a moment of silence, which stood in stark contrast to the otherwise action-packed presentation of Paramount Pictures’ upcoming movies. “Thank you, Val. I wish you well on your next journey,” he said to the silent room. ‘Batman’ star Val Kilmer dies at 65 Cruise was there to hype “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning,” the eighth instalment of the franchise set to hit theatres May 23. Given that the 62-year-old is one of the rare stars who is still a near-guarantee for box office success, Cruise is an unsurprising darling of the annual convention and trade show in Las Vegas, where studios hype up cinemas and seek to convince theatre owners they can lure audiences out of the house.

Fans were abuzz after spotting Tom Cruise and Ana de Armas strolling through London’s Soho neighbourhood on February 13. The two Hollywood stars had just left a restaurant when they stopped to chat with admirers, posing for selfies before getting into a taxi and driving away.  Their public outing immediately sparked dating rumours. “Everyone was excited, thinking they might be a couple,” a source told In Touch, noting that Tom has not been in a serious relationship since his 2012 split from Katie Holmes.  Tom Hardy faces his past in Netflix’s crime thriller ‘Havoc’ trailer However, while some media outlets began questioning if the Valentine’s Day Eve dinner was a date, others reported that the Mission: Impossible star, 62, and the Knives Out actress, 36, are simply new friends discussing potential collaboration. This seems more likely, according to the source, as Ana was seen with her boyfriend just days later.  Ana de Armas is in a relationship  The actress has been linked to Manuel Anido Cuesta, a 27-year-old lawyer and stepson of Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel. The couple was first photographed together in November, sharing a kiss. Most recently, they were spotted in Spain on February 17.  Will Smith wins $1.7m copyright lawsuit over Gemini Man Still, Tom’s history of dating Spanish-speaking actresses fuels curiosity. He was briefly linked to Sofía Vergara in 2005 before dating Katie Holmes, and from 2001 to 2004, he was in a relationship with his Vanilla Sky co-star, Penélope Cruz. Given their chemistry, the source remarked, “Tom and Ana would make a great-looking couple, too.” 

Taylor Swift was up. Elon Musk was in, out, in and maybe out again. Tom Cruise was back. BTS stepped aside, and so did Serena Williams, and Tom Brady too — oops, scratch that. But the slap? The slap was everywhere. Ok, so maybe it wasn’t on the level of a moon landing, or selection of a pope. But henceforth all you need say is “the slap” and people will know what you mean — that moment Will Smith smacked Chris Rock at the Oscars and a global audience said, “Wait, did that happen?” Even in the room itself — maybe especially in the room itself — there was a sense everyone had imagined it, which helps explain why things went on as normal, for a bit. The pandemic was over, phew! Well, of course it wasn’t. But live entertainment pushed forward in 2022, with mask mandates dropping and people rushing to buy things like, oh, Taylor Swift tickets! We’ll take any segue to mention Swift, who already had a big year in 2021, but just got bigger — heck, she broke Billboard records and then she broke Ticketmaster. (No word if she got her scarf back). It was a year of celebrity #MeToo cases like Harvey Weinstein (again), R. Kelly (again), Kevin Spacey, Paul Haggis, Danny Masterson. And the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial, its every excruciating turn captured on TV. On the big screen, there were big comebacks. Mourning its dearly missed star, Chadwick Boseman, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” was a box office triumph. James Cameron’s “Avatar” made a splashy December return. Then there was Cruise, turning 60 in ’22 just like the Rolling Stones, swooping into Cannes with his most successful movie and showing, like those still-touring rockers, that when they tell you “The end is inevitable,” as they do in “Top Gun: Maverick,” you can always reply: “Maybe so, sir, but not today.” Read more: Will Smith’s ‘Emancipation’ role taught him lesson post-slap Will audiences one day find Cruise – or the Stones, for that matter – too wrinkled and past the sell-by date? Maybe so, but not this year. Our annual, totally selective journey through a year in pop culture: JANUARY It’s GOLDEN GLOBES time. But is a Globes with no telecast, boozy celebs or red carpet a Globes at all? The embattled Hollywood Foreign Press Association, reeling from stunning failures over diversity, holds a private event and plans a comeback next year. Hey, remember the original wardrobe malfunction? Well, JANET JACKSON says she and JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE have moved on, and so should we. The New York Times buys Wordle, and we’re all thinking in five-letter words (though W-O-R-D-L-E is six, just saying.) Meanwhile, it’s a month of loss, heading off a year of loss: pioneering Black actor, director and activist SIDNEY POITIER dies at 94. What would a year in pop culture be without BRITNEY? Just months after her liberation from her restrictive conservatorship, Spears is reported to have signed a mammoth book deal, but at year’s end we’re still waiting for news. RIHANNA is pregnant! TOM BRADY retires! (Stay tuned, on that one.) TAYLOR watch: JAKE GYLLENHAAL speaks out, saying he really has nothing to do with that song. MARCH Quick, who wins Oscars this month? Well, “CODA” does, a feel-good drama with a largely deaf cast, and TROY KOTSUR becomes the first deaf actor to win an acting Oscar. Alas, all anyone can talk about is — you know. SMITH, who wins the best actor award not long after slapping Rock over a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, won’t truly address the issue until the end of the year, so keep reading. KARDASHIAN watch: Kim K is declared legally single again in her ongoing divorce with YE, the rapper formerly known as KANYE WEST. And BRADY, retired for 40 days, says, “Never mind!” APRIL It’s GRAMMY time, and JON BATISTE wins big, taking five statuettes. The musician’s huge year will later include performing at the first state dinner of the Biden administration, for French President Emmanuel Macron. The next day Macron will meet with MUSK (thanks for the segue, Monsieur le President) who begins his acquisition of TWITTER this month, leading to untold — and still unfolding — changes at the social media giant. MAY So imagine you’re sipping cocktails at the MET GALA and a musician comes sauntering through, playing the melodica — of course it’s BATISTE, because the Met Gala’s that kind of crazy party. The biggest splash of the night, though, is KARDASHIAN, on the arm of boyfriend PETE DAVIDSON, wearing the same sequined, skin tight gown MARILYN MONROE wore to sing “Happy Birthday” to JFK in 1962. In movies, “Top Gun: Maverick” opens, the highest-grossing domestic debut in CRUISE’S career, and his first to surpass $100 million on opening weekend. HARRY STYLES fans rejoice! His album, “Harry’s House,” is here. JUNE Stunning news for the global fanbase of BTS as the K-pop supergroup announces it’s taking a break to focus on members’ solo projects. On the legal front, a Virginia jury hands DEPP a victory in his very messy libel case over allegations of domestic abuse, finding that former wife HEARD defamed him in a 2018 op-ed. On a happier note, Britney gets married…. July Only one wedding, Britney? BENNIFER has two! Maybe what happens in Vegas usually stays in Vegas, but not when you have 227 million followers on Instagram. With a winking reference to being a “Sadie” (married lady) JENNIFER LOPEZ directs fans to her newsletter where she shares pics of her quickie wedding to BEN AFFLECK. “Love is beautiful,” she writes. “And it turns out love is patient.” Speaking of patience, fans of BEYONCÉ are rewarded for theirs with the release of her long-awaited “Renaissance,” her first solo album in six years. AUGUST So, we were saying ... Bennifer’s second wedding, on Affleck’s compound in Georgia, is bigger and fancier. One wedding, one split: KARDASHIAN and DAVIDSON are no longer. In other summer news, the world remembers PRINCESS DIANA, whose shocking death happened 25 years ago, and whose life is being rehashed for a new generation in the current season of “The Crown.” Only days after the anniversary, that same Netflix series will pause production as a mark of respect for QUEEN ELIZABETH II as Britain — and the world — mourn the beloved monarch, who dies at age 96 after more than 70 years on the throne. SEPTEMBER Mounting political intrigue in Europe, and by that we mean, did spit fly at the Venice premiere of “Don’t Worry Darling”? Either way the movie, directed by OLIVIA WILDE and starring her boyfriend (alleged spitter STYLES), is saddled – or blessed? – with more than its share of extracurricular drama. At the EMMYS, behold SHERYL LEE RALPH, who wins for “Abbott Elementary” and schools the crowd on the power of dreams and self-belief. “This is what believing looks like,” she says. You know what else believing looks like? Rachel Berry from “Glee” – aka LEA MICHELE – at last getting to play Fanny Brice in “Funny Girl” on Broadway. In sports, with four rueful words that resonate with working moms everywhere, SERENA WILLIAMS says she’s stepping aside from tennis, because “something’s got to give.” Read more: Apple to release Will Smith's 'Emancipation' post-slap OCTOBER The second HARVEY WEINSTEIN trial opens in Los Angeles. ADIDAS drops YE, part of a cascade of companies that will sever ties with the rapper over his antisemitic and other troubling comments. The MUSK era begins at TWITTER as the world’s richest man carries a sink into the office, to “let that sink in.” HEIDI KLUM’s Halloween costume is a slimy, glistening rain worm. But before the month worms away from us, let’s cede it to SWIFT for dropping her new album, “Midnights” (Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day), then adding seven bonus tracks, then becoming the first artist to occupy all top 10 slots on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Let THAT sink in! P.S. Celebrity divorce watch: BRADY and )GISELE BUNDCHEN split. NOVEMBER Did we say LAST month was Taylor Swift month? Well now, millions of eager fans crowd a presale for her much-awaited Eras Tour, resulting in crashes and endless waits. Ticketmaster cancels the general sale, citing insufficient stock. Multiple state attorneys general announce investigations. Takeaway: People want Taylor Swift tickets. At the multiplex, they also want their Wakanda. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” meets the double challenge of following up one of the biggest blockbusters in history and losing its biggest star. DECEMBER Love ’em or hate ’em, here come HARRY and MEGHAN again, with a Netflix documentary watched very closely by royalty across the pond. Over at Twitter, MUSK says he’ll step down as CEO — after polling users — once he finds someone “foolish” enough to replace him. Cameron’s “AVATAR” sequel finally appears, 13 years after the original broke records, and yes, moviegoers flock to Pandora once again. And bringing the year full circle, SMITH emerges to promote his new film, “EMANCIPATION,” hoping people will forget about … what was it? … at least enough to check out the movie. In this year of comebacks, will Smith’s be the biggest? Check back with us in 2023.  

Hollywood's iconic actor Tom Cruise starrer film ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ had its global release on Friday, and the country’s first multiplex chain Star Cineplex also brought the action-drama film to Bangladeshi cinephiles in line with its international release across its all five branches in the capital. The movie, which brought Tom Cruise to the role of Pete "Maverick" Mitchell after 36 years with the sequel to 1986's "Top Gun," has recently been screened at the 75th Cannes Film Festival on May 18 in an Official Selection Screening, where it received a five-minute standing ovation from the audience and Cannes paved a tribute to Cruise and his extraordinary career. On Friday, Bangladeshi audiences and Tom Cruise fans showed up in Star Cineplex’s Bashundhara City, Sony Square, SKS Tower, Shimanto Shambhar and the newly launched Bangabandhu Military Museum branches and praised the film. “I have been a fan of Cruise and the original ‘Top Gun’ movie and was waiting to watch its sequel once it hits the theatre. It feels good that we, the Bangladeshi audiences are also watching this film alongside the rest of the world on the same day,” Ashiqur Pial, a banker, told UNB after watching the film at the Sony Square branch of Star Cineplex in Mirpur. Before releasing it on Friday across all of its five branches, Star Cineplex held a special press screening of the film on Thursday night at its SKS Tower branch in Mohakhali in the capital for journalists, media personalities and celebrities. The advanced screening was joined by popular silver screen actor Riaz Ahmed, Taskeen Rahman, Sumon Patwary, director Taneem Rahman Angshu, youth celebrities and content creators including Salman Muqtadir, Shoumik Ahmed, Rakin Absar, Shouvik Ahmed and more.  Directed by Joseph Kosinski, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ also has an ensemble cast featuring Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris, Monica Barbaro, and Val Kilmer. Set 36 years after its prequel, the film recounts Maverick's return to the United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program (commonly known as "Top Gun"), where he must confront his past while training a cadre of younger fighter pilots, including the son of Maverick's closest buddy Goose. The film was initially scheduled for a July 2019 release, which was delayed by efforts to shoot several complex action sequences, then by the COVID-19 pandemic and scheduling conflicts. Since its release, the film is receiving positive reviews and critical acclaim for Cruise’s incredible stunts as a dashing fighter pilot. Also read: ‘Top Gun’ sequel a welcome trip to the danger zone

Tom Cruise mania descended Wednesday in Cannes where the actor made a whirlwind appearance at the film festival, walking the red carpet, receiving a surprise Palme d'Or and watching a squadron of French fighter jets fly over the European premiere of “Top Gun: Maverick.” Cannes pulled out all the stops to fete the 59-year-old star, paying tribute to Cruise with not just a rare interview on stage and a red-carpet premiere featuring a flyby of jets trailing colored smoke, but with the unexpected presentation of an honorary Palme d'Or. Festival president Pierre Lescure announced the award — about 15 honorary Palmes have been given before — on stage just before the screening was to begin. Cruise clutched Cannes' top prize while the audience gave the actor a standing ovation. Also read:Cannes Film Festival opens with Zelenskyy video address Cruise brought a palpable buzz to the Croisette, where throngs gathered around the Palais des Festivals shouting “Tom!” to try to get a glimpse of the 59-year-old star. “Great Balls of Fire” blared on the carpet. Cruise hadn't been to the festival in three decades. But with plenty of media disruption challenging the theatrical experience, Cannes and Cruise exuded the vibe of long-last pals. “He is devoted to cinema,” declared artistic director Thierry Fremaux. Cruise's enthusiastic welcome smacked in some ways of an action hero's reception, here to save the day. “I make movies for the big screen,” Cruise said to applause in an interview on stage at Cannes' Debussy Theatre. The European premiere of “Top Gun: Maverick,” directed by Joseph Kosinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, brought out what's likely to be among the most star-studded red carpets of the Cannes Film Festival, which opened Tuesday and runs through May 28. Among those in attendance were Viola Davis, Dakota Fanning, Omar Sy and Eva Longoria — along with “Top Gun: Maverick" stars Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm and Glen Powell. While Cruise arrived by helicopter at the film's San Diego premiere aboard an aircraft carrier, he came to the Cannes premiere more traditionally, with the film's cast and filmmakers in a cavalcade of cars. Cruise paused for several minutes to sign autographs and take pictures with fans lined up across the street from the red carpet. Before that, the festival honored Cruise with a tribute that consisted of a career-spanning video montage, after which Cruise spoke about his dedication to filmmaking in an interview that stayed away from any personal questions. Instead, he responded to prodding from interviewer Didier Allouch about why, Monsieur Cruise, do you take such risks doing your own stunts? “No one asked Gene Kelly ‘Why do you dance?’” answered Cruise. The Cannes stopover for “Top Gun: Maverick” is part of a worldwide tour for the film ahead of its May 27th launch in theaters. It has already touched down at CinemaCon in Las Vegas and premiered in San Diego. Paramount Pictures delayed its release two years during the pandemic, a move that appears to be paying off with glowing reviews and box-office expectations that “Top Gun: Maverick” will easily mark Cruise's biggest opening weekend ever. Asked if he was ever tempted to steer the film to a streaming service, Cruise replied emphatically. “No, that’s not going to happen ever," responded Cruise to loud applause. “That was never going to happen.” Also read:Rodrigo, Drake, Ye early winners at Billboard Music Awards Cruise spent the majority of the conversation explaining his extreme dedication to the craft of moviemaking, how from an early age he dug into every element of film productions and analyzed how particular modes of acting worked best on the big screen. Shooting the 1981 film “Taps,” with George C. Scott, he returned to it again and again as a formative experience. “Please," Cruise said he thought at the time, "if I could just do this for the rest of my life, I will never take it for granted.”