MOVIE NEWS – Tom Cruise has been awarded a surprise honorary Palme d’Or at the premiere of Top Gun: Maverick at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.

After four years, Tom Cruise returns to the big screen with the upcoming aerial parade Top Gun: Maverick. The film is the direct and long-awaited sequel to the 1986 classic Top Gun and continues the story of naval pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, who trains a new generation of fighter pilots. Top Gun: Maverick recently premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, and it seems the film’s reception has surprised everyone, including Tom Cruise.

Tom Cruise has been in the industry for four decades and is one of the most famous Hollywood stars in the world.

Known for his good looks and incredible charisma, Tom Cruise started his career in comedy but soon became an action star with films such as Top Gun, Days of Thunder and the Mission Impossible series. The veteran actor was honoured at Cannes for his many contributions to cinema. As the cast of Top Gun: Maverick stepped onto the red carpet, eight French fighter jets flew past them, painting the sky red, white and blue, while Cruise and the rest of the cast looked up in amazement.

Immediately before the screening of Top Gun: Maverick, the audience was treated to a selection of Tom Cruise’s most memorable scenes. The crowd cheered as the Rainman star took to the stage to receive the festival’s highest honour, the Palme d’Or. Cruise, who seemed genuinely surprised by the gesture, gave a heartfelt speech to the audience (quoted by Variety):

“This is an incredible evening and an incredible time.”

“Just to see everyone’s faces. It’s been 36 years since the first ‘Top Gun’ and we’ve had to hold it years for the pandemic. This movie was a dream. We talked about it when filming. I just want to see everyone’s faces. There’s no masks and we’re in a movie theater. I’m going to take this all in and I feel very grateful. We’re here for you. I make all these movies for all of you and I’m very blessed to do what I do. Enjoy this evening. You all have made my life.”

Tom Cruise returned to Cannes after 30 years, and it looks like Top Gun: Maverick could be the first mega-budget action film to win the Best Picture Oscar. The film has received overwhelming critical acclaim and currently has a 97% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. That’s pretty impressive, especially for an action film (not made by Marvel or DC) these days, as they often prove divisive.

However, Top Gun: Maverick received a five-minute standing ovation at Cannes, which is probably the first such action film since 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road.

Audiences were reportedly quite interactive, often gasping and cheering at the spectacular stunts. However, the loudest applause came during the scene in Top Gun: Maverick, in which Val Kilmer and Cruise were seen together. As impatient as everyone is for the duo to reunite after 36 years, fans will have to be patient for a few more days to see the long-awaited sequel to the legacy.

Top Gun: Maverick will premiere in theatres on May 27.

Source: Variety

A quite emotional #TomCruise receiving a Palme d'Or at #Cannes2022. Not happening often with him. 💞#TopGunMaverick pic.twitter.com/I8p3PHT5Iq

— Tom Cruise News (@TCNews62) May 18, 2022