CANNES, France (AP) — Tom Cruise mania descended Wednesday in Cannes where the actor made a whirlwind appearance at the film festival to walk the red carpet…
Tom Cruise mania descended Wednesday in Cannes where the actor made a whirlwind appearance at the film festival to walk the red carpet, exalt the big screen in a rare interview and watch a squadron of French fighter jets fly over the European premiere of “Top Gun: Maverick.”
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.
