75th Cannes Film Festival | Tom Cruise defends theatrical screenings

(Cannes) Tom Cruise defended theatrical films and the magic of the big screen, in the face of the explosion of the platforms of streamingduring a master class on Wednesday at the Cannes Film Festival, where he came to present the new Top Gun.

“I make movies for the big screen. My films will not be released directly on the platforms. Going to the cinema is sharing an experience, whatever our culture or language. I go to see the films in theaters when they come out. I put on my cap (so as not to be recognized). I like to see the trailers”, declared the Hollywood star, in front of 1000 people who gave him a long ovation.

“It is together that we will get out of this situation,” he continued, referring to the drop in cinema attendance, between the explosion of platforms and the global health crisis.

The stainless actor of Impossible mission and Top Gun took the opportunity to talk about his passion for cinema. “Since the age of 4, I have wanted to make films. I grew up with the films of Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Charlie Chaplin. Making movies has been a great journey for me,” he said.

At 59, the big regular in blockbusters, who does his stunts himself, returned to this particularity. “Is it like asking Gene Kelly why he dances? (laughs). I was 4 and a half years old. I had a parachute toy. I wanted to do the same. I made myself a parachute with my sheets, I climbed on the roof”.

“When I started, I said to myself “this is not a good idea” (laughs). I hit the ground so hard that I saw stars for the first time in broad daylight. I said to myself, “it’s interesting”, “he said, all smiles.

The actor will climb the steps at the end of the day to present Top Gun: Maverick, 36 years after the first opus. The Patrouille de France, which he met on Tuesday, will fly over the steps at the same time.

The film will be in theaters from May 25 in France, from May 27 in the United States.