There was a reunion between two of the biggest names in Hollywood at this year's Academy Award Nominees Luncheon, with Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg creating a viral moment that was as thrilling as it was heartfelt.Cruise, who previously helped save the entire planet in Spielberg's War of the Worlds was credited by the legendary director with saving something else just as important - the theatrical experience. Spielberg and Cruise are competing for Best Picture this year, with both serving as producers on their respective films, The Fabelmans and Top Gun: Maverick.A video shared on Instagram by the director Kartiki Gonsalves, whose film Who Can Say No to Baby Elephants! is a nominee for Best Documentary Short Film, showed Spielberg and Cruise locked in an embrace, with Spielberg saying to the actor that he "saved Hollywood’s ass and you might have saved theatrical distribution. Seriously, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ might have saved the entire theatrical industry.”Steven Spielberg on the set of one of his films.RELATED: ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Named Rotten Tomatoes' Best Film of the YearMaverick was only the second film to breach the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office in the wake of the pandemic, behind Spider-Man: No Way Home. With its $1.48 billion gross, Maverick came in as the 11th highest-grossing film in history worldwide, while it ranks as fifth all-time at the domestic box office.

Top Gun: Maverick Was an Old-Fashioned Word-of-Mouth Hit

Maverick's success was almost unprecedented, and a true surprise. The sequel to a cult classic at best from 1986, which was known as much for its campiness and its beach volleyball scenes as it was for its aerial scenes, it became a true word-of-mouth hit in the way films like Titanic had previously been, remaining high in the box office charts for months following its release. For Paramount, its distributor, the key to its success was repeat viewing. By its fourth weekend in North American theaters, 16% of the audience had returned to see the film again at least once, with 4% seeing it three times or more.

The film was also a critical smash, winning Best Film from the National Board of Review, Rotten Tomatoes' Film of the Year and it was named as one of the top ten films of 2022 by the American Film Institute. The film was nominated for a total of six Academy Awards, including the aforementioned Best Picture, and its $1.489 billion gross marked the highest-grossing film of Cruise's career.