During the peak of the pandemic, the future of the movie business was unclear, especially with theaters across the world getting shut down indefinitely at one point. Things have certainly changed since that time, with movies back on the big screen with filmgoers flocking in to see feature films, especially the immensely successful Top Gun: Maverick. At the Oscar nominees luncheon, famed director Steven Spielberg reunited with Tom Cruise, and he told the actor that he had saved Hollywood with the success of the Top Gun sequel.

“You saved Hollywood’s ass and you might have saved theatrical distribution,” Spielberg said at the event. "Seriously, Top Gun: Maverick might have saved the entire theatrical industry."

That praise would be observed by Joseph Kosinski, director of Top Gun: Maverick. Kosinski says it was mind-blowing to hear that kind of praise given to the film by someone like Spielberg, one of movie history's all-time greats. He also says he's happy for Tom Cruise as well, as he witnessed first-hand just how hard the actor had worked on the film to help make it such a big success.

“It absolutely blew my mind. That’s so kind of Steven to say,” Kosinski told Variety. “All of us, every director here can look at Steven’s movies and find inspiration or some movie that touched them and made them want to be a director… So to hear that from him, it makes me so proud and so hap

Related: Why Tom Cruise Deserved an Oscar Nomination For Acting in Top Gun: Maverick

Top Gun: Maverick Had People Flying to Theaters

Top Gun: Maverick is a movie that garnered widespread praise from critics and filmgoers alike. Additonally, it made crazy amounts of money at the box office, grossing more than $1.48 billion worldwide. That made it the second-highest grossing film of last year and the highest earner of Tom Cruise's career. Its accolades have been numerous, and the film is up for Best Picture among other Oscars at the Academy Awards next month.

The film is directed by Joseph Kosinski and written by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie. The story comes from Peter Craig and Justin Marks. Along with Cruise in the lead, the film also stars Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, and Ed Harris. Val Kilmer is also featured for a special reunion with Cruise that many fans say was worth the price of admission alone.

You can stream Top Gun: Maverick on Paramount+.