Dear Gossips,

Top Gun: Maverick has now surpassed Avengers: Infinity War to become the sixth highest grossing domestic film in US history. It’s an impressive achievement considering the lead-up to Infinity War, with all those superheroes coming together over the course of the preceding decade or more to face an opponent set up to be the ultimate big bad.

But here we are, with Maverick now crossing the $1.4 billion mark worldwide, unquestionably the most successful movie of the year so far, a resounding confirmation that Tom Cruise was right to insist on a theatrical release even if it meant holding the film back for two years. And it’s available today on digital for purchase, even as it’s STILL playing in theatres.

Paramount has been promoting the digital release and director Joseph Kosinski did an interview with The Hollywood Reporter to give even more behind-the-scenes details about the movie, and addressed a “popular [fan] theory” about what really happened. This is the first I’m hearing about this theory. Spoiler alert… if you really need one.

So apparently there are people who think that Maverick dies at the beginning of the movie during the scene when he’s testing out that new plane and pushes it beyond Mach 10? So the rest of it is just a death dream sequence? That’s what some people think and Joseph Kosinki isn’t about to convince them that it isn’t:

“[…] movies are meant to be interpreted in a variety of ways, and I love it when people read different meanings into it. So I love hearing that theory, and certainly, there’s a mythic kind of element to the story that I think lends itself to that sort of interpretation, based on who Maverick is and what he represents and the fact that he’s kind of going through this rite of passage at a different phase of his life. So I like that theory. Movies are things that are meant to be interpreted in your own way and based on how you see the world and the experiences that you’ve had. So I will not throw cold water on that. It’s a really cool interpretation of the story.”

Well if he won’t, I will. Because as IF Tom Cruise would give us a story where Maverick wouldn’t be able to achieve something unless it was in a dream, are you kidding me?

We are talking about Tom Cruise. Why would Tom Cruise allow Maverick to do all the things and get the bad guys and prevail and fist pimp IN HIS IMAGINATION!? The whole point of Maverick is that he can will sh-t to happen by defying both gravity and authority. We are supposed to believe that Maverick can make ANYTHING possible…

Except maybe the Oscars, LOL.

But also, don’t count him out? I’ve been talking about this for weeks and yes, it is very much a longshot. That said, you cannot deny the impact of Top Gun: Maverick this year – and it’s not like Hollywood and the Academy aren’t aware of it. One of the biggest criticisms about the Oscars is that the awards ignore popular movies and right now there is no movie more popular than TG:M, no movie that more people might be rooting for and tuning in for. It’s a movie EVERYONE knows. After the controversy of last year’s Oscars, the Academy needs a storyline that can change the conversation. It could be TG:M – if the voting snobs within the Academy would actually tick that box.

Like I said, it’s a longshot… but the effort will be made, no doubt. There is no way the studio won’t back the campaign, if Tom is willing to campaign. Scott Feinberg tweeted this just as summer was starting, shortly after TG:M came out. And it holds up. We are about to head into festival season, when many of the strongest contenders emerge.

Speaking of festival season, though, TIFF confirmed yesterday that Brendan Fraser will receive the TIFF Tribute Award in September. He’ll be at the festival starring in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale and was already picking up award season buzz before TIFF made the announcement. As Joanna pointed out to the etalk team yesterday, here’s how it’s been for previous TIFF Tribute Award winners over the last several years:

In 2019 it was Joaquin Phoenix who went on to win the Best Actor Oscar. The following year it was Sir Anthony Hopkins, and he too was named Best Actor at the Oscars. Last year Jessica Chastain was honoured with the TIFF Tribute and she is the reigning Oscar Best Actress winner. So…all eyes on Brendan Fraser.

Yours in gossip,

Lainey

Tom Cruise Gossip

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