film tom cruise oscar

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes
• The Awardist

Tom Cruise missed Best Actor, but still got his first Oscar nomination in 23 years for Top Gun: Maverick

The global superstar landed major recognition for his work in the action sequel.

The Academy didn't recognize Tom Cruise with a Best Actor nod, but the global superstar still landed a major Oscar nomination for Top Gun: Maverick anyway.

For his work as a producer on the blockbuster sequel that has grossed nearly $1.5 billion to date , the 60-year-old scored his fourth career Oscar nomination as the film appeared Tuesday morning among the Academy's 10 Best Picture nominees.

Tuesday's nomination marks the fourth time the Academy has recognized Cruise throughout his lengthy career. He was previously nominated for his work as an actor for 1989's Born on the Fourth of July , 1996's Jerry Maguire , and 1999's Magnolia .

Top Gun: Maverick , which follows Cruise as the returning Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a U.S. Navy captain and test pilot who faces his conflicting past as he leads a new team of Top Gun graduates into the air, also earned 2023 Oscar nominations for Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay), Original Song (Lady Gaga's "Hold My Hand"), Best Sound, and Best Visual Effects.

Cruise made the Joseph Kosinski -directed movie — Paramount's long-awaited continuation of the original 1986 Top Gun film — alongside veteran Hollywood producers Jerry Bruckheimer , David Ellison, and Christopher McQuarrie, who also co-wrote the movie with Ehren Kruger and Eric Warren Singer.

The 95th Academy Awards will air Sunday, March 12, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on ABC. See the full list of 2023 Oscar nominations here .

Check out more from EW's The Awardis t , featuring exclusive interviews, analysis, and our podcast diving into all the highlights from the year's best films.

Related content:

• Tracking the top 2023 Oscar contenders
• Academy promises 'great legacy surprises' in 2023 Oscars preview
• See where 15 Academy Award winners keep their Oscars
• Awards season calendar 2022-2023: See dates for Emmys, Oscars, Golden Globes, and more

Related Articles

Tom Cruise’s 16 Best Performances: From ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ to ‘Magnolia’

By Clayton Davis

Clayton Davis

Senior Awards Editor

• Oscars Invite 487 New Members: Lily Gladstone, Catherine O’Hara, Jessica Alba, ‘RRR’ Director S.S. Rajamouli and More 4 days ago
• Gloria Calderon Kellett, Xolo Mariduena and Edward James Olmos and More Join NALIP’s 2024 Media Summit (EXCLUSIVE) 5 days ago
• ‘Wheel of Time’ Director Sanaa Hamri Talks Finale, Teasing ‘Rings of Power’ Season 2 and Being Open to Making ‘Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 3’ 1 week ago

With six decades around the sun, Tom Cruise still feels the need for speed and has crafted himself into one of the most successful and undeniably talented movie stars of his generation.

Variety is ranking his 15 best film performances to celebrate the actor’s 60th birthday.

With a breakthrough that started in the coming-of-age film “Risky Business” (1983), the Syracuse, N.Y.-born actor became a darling of Hollywood and consumer audiences around the world. As Joseph Kosinski’s “Top Gun: Maverick” still goes strong, making more than half a billion dollars domestically, Cruise has continued to etch himself into the cultural zeitgeist, crossing multiple generations.

Also a producer, Cruise has continued to elevate the entertainment medium with the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, which began in 1995. With five very successful sequels and two more on the way, he continues to push the boundaries for himself as a fearless stuntman and an advocate for the silver screen.

A career that only the most daring actors and creatives can dream of, Cruise has worked alongside two best actor winners — Paul Newman (“The Color of Money”) and Dustin Hoffman (“Rain Man”) — and has earned himself three Oscar nominations in “Born on the Fourth of July” (1989), “Jerry Maguire” (1996) and “Magnolia” (1999). But it hasn’t been about the accolades for Cruise. In May 2021, he returned his three Golden Globe Awards after the expose on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s lack of diversity, specifically no Black members.

Cruise’s films have grossed over $10 billion dollars worldwide and there are no signs of slowing down. Will he ever win a coveted Oscar? That remains to be seen, but the narrative is there if the Academy rewards an upcoming project.

Read Variety’s list of Tom Cruise’s best performances below:

Honorable mentions : “Far and Away” (1992); “The Last Samurai” (2003); “Rock of Ages” (2012)

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Role: Major William Cage

Director: Doug Liman Writers: Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth Distributor: Warner Bros.

The scene that proves it: Getting the device from Brigham

Kicking ass, taking names, then rinse and repeat. A military major goes through a “Groundhog Day” loop but it’s Cruise that ensures it’s not a gimmick, slithering into each scene with charm, raw magnetism and wonderful chemistry with an awards-worthy Emily Blunt. The science-fiction drama has been all too undervalued. Doug Liman’s thriller shows more than special effects and explosions. It also presents capable and talented stars at the helm, which makes all the difference.

Risky Business (1983)

Role: Joel Goodson

Director: Paul Brickman Writer: Paul Brickman Distributor: Warner Bros.

The scene that proves it: Dancing to “Old Time Rock & Roll”

All it took was a button-down shirt, briefs and a Bob Seger track to make Tom Cruise one of the defining movie stars of his generation. In Paul Brickman’s directorial debut, Cruise’s turn in the teen comedy was as culturally massive as it was monetarily successful. With lots of praise also going to his co-star Rebecca DeMornay, this is just as enjoyable as any film that ranks in the listing.

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Role : Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell

Director : Joseph Kosinski

Writers : Peter Craig, Justin Marks, Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, Christopher McQuarrie (based on characters created by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr.)

Distributor : Paramount Pictures

The scene that proves it : “Maverick’s Test Run”

Cruise’s 80s high-flying sequel feels like it saved the movies. His return to “Maverick,” his beloved character has showmanship, charisma and the ability to shoot down planes with the enemy’s plane. Having great chemistry with his co-stars, particularly Miles Teller and Jennifer Connelly, Cruise is only getting better as he gets older.

Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)

Role: Lestat de Lioncourt

Director: Neil Jordan Writer: Anne Rice (based on “Interview with the Vampire” by Anne Rice) Distributor: Warner Bros.

The scene that proves it: “Claudia, you’ve been a very, naughty little girl.”

As the sinister and entrancing Lestat, Cruise hypnotized the audience with his soft-spoken flirtations with the living while persuading them to join the undead. Alongside memorable turns from Brad Pitt and a young Kirsten Dunst, Neil Jordan’s horror adaptation of the Anne Rice novel is still a popular selection.

The Firm (1993)

Role: Mitch McDeere

Director: Sydney Pollack Writers: David Rabe, Robert Towne, David Rayfiel (based on “The Firm” by John Grisham) Distributor: Paramount Pictures

The scene that proves it: “Did you ever think I would make a six-figure salary?”

Sydney Pollack’s invigorating legal thriller boasts an all-star cast and a dynamic Cruise as lawyer Mitch McDeere. While also featuring my personal favorite Tom Cruise signature run as he chases down his movie wife Jeanne Tripplehorn, the adaptation of the John Grisham novel was a box office success and even pulled in an acting nom for his co-star Holly Hunter.

Mission: Impossible (1995)

Role: Ethan Hunt

Director: Brian De Palma Writers: David Koepp, Robert Towne, Steven Zaillian (based on “Mission: Impossible” by Bruce Geller) Distributor: Paramount Pictures

The scene that proves it: “You’ve never seen me upset.”

The spy thriller from Brian De Palma still holds up almost 30 years later. Likewise, the action franchise that’s still going (with two more films on the way) keeps on delivering, thanks to Tom Cruise.

The cinematic remake of the classic television series has spawned multiple territories, generating massive revenue and showing Cruise’s defining action star beats, jaw-dropping stunts and magical smiles that have a way with the ladies as Ethan Hunt.

Keep dropping from those ceilings, Tom.

Rain Man (1988)

Role: Charlie Babbitt

Director: Barry Levinson Writers: Barry Morrow, Ronald Bass Distributor: MGM/UA

The scene that proves it: “You’re the Rain Man?”

The best picture winner of his arsenal, alongside an Oscar-winning turn from Dustin Hoffman, the film stands as one that hindsight has allowed us to rediscover as one of the bright spots of his filmography. If only Oscar were willing to recognize two leading actors as they did earlier that decade with “Amadeus.” Cruise would have made a fine addition.

Collateral (2004)

Role: Vincent

Director: Michael Mann Writer: Stuart Beattie Distributor: DreamWorks Pictures

The scene that proves it: Searching in the club.

At best a co-lead to Jamie Foxx (who was nominated for best supporting actor in one of the most recent cases of category fraud), Cruise’s silver fox Vincent in Michael Mann’s thriller is an underrated delivery. He sends chills down the spine, moving like a shark through a club and listening to his prey with a mischievous grin. He keeps us at the edge of our seats, before finally allowing us to exhale by the end of the credits.

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Role: Bill Harford

Director: Stanley Kubrick Writers: Stanley Kubrick, Frederic Raphael (based on “Traumnovelle” by Arthur Schnitzler) Distributor: Warner Bros.

The scene that proves it: Listening to the story about Cape Cod.

Under the thumb of Stanley Kubrick and his final outing with his then-wife, Nicole Kidman, Cruise dives into the erotic drama that feels among the actor’s bravest character outings. Marking the last directorial outing of Kubrick, you can feel the ripple of his legacy hanging on the words of each of Cruise and Kidman’s interactions or in the defined stare as one pours their heart out to another.

Top Gun (1986)

Director : Tony Scott

Writers : Jim Cash, Jack Epps Jr. (based on “Top Guns” by Ehud Yonay

The scene that proves it : Tossing Goose’s dog tags.

Cruise feels the need… the need for speed in Tony Scott’s pulse-pounding action flick — a cemented classic in the 1980s. His undeniable charisma led to the following post-release and now has the global cinematic world taking in its sequel “Maverick” to more than half a billion dollars. There’s always been something about Maverick tossing Goose’s (Anthony Edwards) dog tags overboard following his death that always struck a chord.

Tropic Thunder (2008)

Role: Les Grossman

Director: Ben Stiller Writers: Justin Theroux, Ben Stiller, Etan Cohen Distributor: Paramount Pictures / DreamWorks Pictures

The scene that proves it: “G5”

It’s a transformation of epic proportions in Ben Stiller’s classic comedy. While Robert Downey Jr. received the lion’s share of praise, earning an Oscar nom for supporting actor, Cruise could only muster a Golden Globe nom for his turn as Hollywood producer Les Grossman. Screaming one-liners and a dance finale that still makes the world chuckle, it stands as his single best comedic outing.

Jerry Maguire (1996)

Role: Jerry Maguire

Director: Cameron Crowe Writer: Cameron Crowe Distributor: Sony Pictures

The scene that proves it: “You complete me.”

Writer and director Cameron Crowe pulled a movie star performance out of Tom Cruise for his sports agent dramedy. As the titular character, he lights up the screen with his Oscar-winning co-star Cuba Gooding Jr. and the Oscar-snubbed Renée Zellweger in a finale that had people quoting it for decades. And let’s not forget “Show me the money” and its stapled place in movie history.

A Few Good Men (1992)

Role: Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee

Director: Rob Reiner Writer: Aaron Sorkin (based on “A Few Good Men” by Aaron Sorkin) Distributor: Columbia Pictures

The scene that proves it: “I want the truth…”

Cruise is entitled to answers in Rob Reiner’s courtroom drama, maneuvering prominent personalities and moments alongside Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore and Kevin Pollack. Although nominated for best picture, Cruise’s work was passed over in lead actor. His defender of marines standing trial, under the words of Aaron Sorkin and one of his finest writing efforts, Cruise soars to new heights.

Minority Report (2002)

Role: John Anderton

Director: Steven Spielberg Writers: Scott Frank, Jon Cohen (based on “The Minority Report” by Philip K. Dick) Distributor: 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios)

The scene that proves it: Listening to Abigail about Sean’s life.

It’s a quiet and commanding standout in Cruise’s filmography when looking back on Cruise’s work in Steven Spielberg’s futuristic drama. However, as John Anderton, a police officer trying to clear his name for a murder he has yet to commit, it’s Cruise’s precise choice of listening to Abigail (played by a magnificent Samantha Morton) that breaks the heart in two.

Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

Role: Ron Kovic

Director: Oliver Stone Writers: Oliver Stone, Ron Kovic (based on “Born on the Fourth of July” by Kovic) Distributor: Universal Pictures

The scene that proves it: “I love America.”

Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone introduced what Cruise could achieve beyond sliding floors and jet planes. His Vietnam veteran spans years, with each chapter feeling authentic and layered. The film was nominated for best picture and earned Cruise his first Oscar nom for best actor.

Magnolia (1999)

Role: Frank T.J. Mackey

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson Writer: Paul Thomas Anderson Distributor: New Line Cinema

The scene that proves it: “I hate you.”

Pouring in every ounce of himself, Cruise’s Oscar-nominated performance is (currently) the last time he’s been recognized by the Academy, and it stands as his finest hour in Paul Thomas Anderson’s mosaic drama. Full of life, energy and heartache, he invites the viewer on the journey, fearless in his interpretation and perfect in his execution.

More from Variety

Edward norton’s challenging new role could put him in tv’s battle for advertising dollars, the state of generative ai in hollywood: a special report, new bundles point to broadband’s growing power in svod packaging, more from our brands, janelle monáe is back from the future and ready to play, rimac is launching a self-driving ride-share service. here’s what we know., lebron opts out but plans to re-sign with lakers, per report, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, greenleaf mvp lynn whitfield shares a discouraging spinoff update: ‘but keep our fingers crossed’, verify it's you, please log in.

MORE SECTIONS

• Social Casino

MORE FROM THE SUN

• Newsletters

• Entertainment

Has Tom Cruise ever won an Oscar?

• Julia Fields
• Published : 12:56 ET, May 11 2021
• Updated : 14:18 ET, May 11 2021
• Published : Invalid Date,

TOM CRUISE has received many awards and nominations for his extensive career acting career.

Cruise began acting in 1981 when he made his film debut in Endless Love. Since then, he has appeared in over 58 films.

Cruise has been nominated for three Academy Awards throughout his career.

He was nominated for Best Actor in 1997 for Jerry Maguire and in 1990 for Born On The Fourth Of July.

He was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Magnolia in 2000.

Tom Cruise has not won any of the Academy Awards that he has been nominated for.

What awards has Tom Cruise won?

Although Cruise has not won an Oscar, he has received many other accolades for his performances in the past.

While Cruise did not win an Oscar for Jerry Maguire, Magnolia, or Born On The Fourth Of July, he did win Golden Globes for all three of his performances.

He has also won two MTV Movie Awards, a Satellite Award, a People's Choice Award, and many more.

In May 2021, Cruise announced that he will be returning his three Golden Globes to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Why is Tom Cruise returning his Golden Globes?

A source close to CNN revealed that Cruise was returning his three Golden Globe awards back to the HFPA.

This comes following criticism of the HFPA regarding lack of diversity in its 87 members.

A recent investigation conducted by the Los Angeles Times revealed that the HFPA included no Black members.

The investigation also raised ethical questions about the financial benefits to some of the members.

Most read in Celebrity

Street Outlaws star shared gut-wrenching message about boyfriend before death

Sabrina stars lead tributes after castmate's death & fans mourn beloved actor

Celine Dion fans 'in tears' as singer stuns in surprise appearance at NHL draft

Roseanne & Sabrina the Teenage Witch star, 80, dead after 'long illness'

NBC announced that the network will not air the 2022 annual award show following the controversy.

Other actors including Mark Ruffalo and Scarlett Johansson have also spoken out against the award show and the HFPA.

Johansson even accussed the HFPA of misconduct and sexism "bordering on sexual harassment."

• Golden Globes
• US Explainers

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories .

• What Is Cinema?

Tom Cruise Really Could Finally Win an Oscar for Top Gun: Maverick

By Katey Rich

Let’s start here: It’s entirely likely that Top Gun: Maverick will win multiple Oscars. With her ubiquitous power ballad and an Oscar already in hand, Lady Gaga is perfectly poised to steamroll the best-original-song category with “Hold My Hand.” And though there are blockbusters yet to come, including Black Panther 2 and Avatar 2, the best-sound category basically exists for the zooms and crashes of Top Gun ’s aerial spectaculars.

There’s one more honor that’s a little bit more out of reach, but irresistible to imagine for fans of both the movie and one of the oldest Oscar narratives: the overdue reward. Tom Cruise has already been celebrated as the sole savior of moviegoing, thanks to Maverick ’s incredible returns. But what if he also got a best-actor statue for his effort?

The idea was floated back when Maverick first opened, and at the time, it seemed a little fanciful. But as Maverick has continued its box office dominance, to a degree that seemed impossible for any movie about non-superpowered human beings, Cruise and his Herculean efforts to entertain the world remain difficult to ignore. Would an Oscar really be so outlandish at this point?

Hear more about this not-so-wild idea on this week’s Little Gold Men podcast.  

Yes, this is a narrative that, with a few details changed, seems to resurface every year. There was the quixotic campaign for Spider-Man: No Way Home to get a best-picture nomination, largely on the strength of its own box office success. There are the summer hits that hold out hope of being remembered when the Oscars roll around six months later, from tiny triumphs like The Farewell to the notorious case of The Dark Knight . There’s the whole mess of the #OscarsCheerMoment for the Snyder Cut , which we just cannot get into right now. But pretty much as long as there have been Oscars, there have been pushes from various corners to reward populist hits, with the somewhat persuasive argument that millions of fans can’t be all wrong.

And every once in a while, it works. Following its splashy premiere at Cannes in May, Top Gun: Maverick was compared fairly favorably to Mad Max: Fury Road, which began its own unlikely road to Oscar dominance at the same festival. Black Panther won three Oscars. Get Out, a horror movie released a full year before the ceremony, was nominated for four Oscars and won best original screenplay. When critics, audiences, and Oscar voters line up so completely, it can be genuinely thrilling—a throwback to the days when Tootsie and E.T. were the highest-grossing films of 1982 by the time they lost best picture to Gandhi.

But the Mad Max: Fury Road comparisons only went so far, even at Cannes. Top Gun: Maverick is an achievement on many levels, but not quite the same as George Miller ’s wild directorial vision, or even Fury Road ’s metaphorical resonance. ( Maverick goes out of its way to avoid any connection to real global politics, which, fair enough.) And even though Maverick is far and away the biggest box office hit of the year, cultural dominance now doesn’t mean quite the same thing that it did for E.T. The urgency to celebrate a hit, even one this big, is not likely to mean as much to the globally spread, future-minded Academy voters of the moment.

But that brings us back to Tom Cruise, the man without whom Maverick would not exist for many reasons. Nominated for three career Oscars—two for definitive leading-man roles in Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire, one for transformative supporting work in Magnolia —he’s been on quite a journey since his last nomination in 2000. On the brink of irrelevance by the time Jeremy Renner was tapped as his fresh, young colead in 2011’s Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol, Cruise instead wrested that franchise back into his control, building up box office clout so strong that even a long-gestating, seemingly implausible Top Gun sequel suddenly became real. His non– Mission: Impossible work—two Jack Reacher movies that barely exist, an attempt to reboot The Mummy, whatever American Made turned out to be—has been almost uniformly irrelevant, but every Ethan Hunt movie has reset the clock. Watch Tom Cruise in his element, and it is impossible not to be in awe. There is still truly no other movie star like him.

By Eve Batey

By Julie Miller

And though the physical challenges of the Mission: Impossible franchise are not the stuff Oscar nominations are made of, there’s more going on in Maverick. Cruise gets to play the lingering anguish over Goose’s death that informs Maverick’s relationship with Goose’s son ( Miles Teller ); his continuing struggle to follow orders, barely containing a smirk in the face of Jon Hamm ’s imposing admiral; even a surprisingly robust romantic subplot with Jennifer Connelly, whose chemistry with Cruise feels genuinely well-earned. The spectacle of Maverick ’s flying sequences may be the big selling point, but it’s not hard to imagine audiences returning again and again to see the bracingly emotional reunion between Cruise and Val Kilmer ’s Iceman, an almost 40-year-old, famously homoerotic tension transformed into a deep—and sad—understanding.

Maverick is not Cruise’s best performance, sure. But as a distillation of everything that has made Cruise a generation-defining star, Maverick is pretty much perfect. If the Academy wants to finally award Cruise a statue, it’s not likely there will be a better opportunity to do so.

The question, of course, is how much the Academy really wants that—and how hard Cruise is willing to work for it. Long protected by his tower of mega-fame and Scientology, Cruise would need to embark on some kind of authenticity tour for an awards campaign, different from the exhaustive work he already did to promote Maverick. It’s one thing for Cruise to fly onto an aircraft carrier or hold court in front of a crowd in Cannes, and another entirely to open up for the kind of profiles or roundtable conversations that are ever-present in modern Oscar campaigns. There’s a very, very recent precedent for this: Will Smith was more visible, and vulnerable, than he has been in years in his promotional duties for King Richard, and his carefully calibrated campaign worked beautifully (until, of course, it didn’t). The path megastars must walk in the Oscar circuit is different from the path for fresh-faced newcomers or even previous winners, but Cruise could make it all look as natural as clinging to the side of an airplane.

Many, many factors—including the slew of films that will premiere at the early fall festivals in Toronto, Telluride, and Venice—will determine Cruise’s Oscar chances, far more than the quality of his work; that, unfortunately, is always the way. And it’s possible that there’s a much easier path for him, parlaying the success of Maverick —and maybe some outrage over an Oscar snub—into a win for a juicy, more Oscar-friendly supporting role in the next year or two.

But in this period before we really know what’s on the horizon, it’s worth just floating the idea of Cruise as a serious contender. As The Hollywood Reporter ’s Scott Feinberg pointed out back in June , if Paul Newman could win for The Color of Money and John Wayne for True Grit, why not this? The reward for making a giant blockbuster is the money and the cultural impact, but every once in a while, the stars align to merit something more.

More Great Stories From Vanity Fair

Everything You Missed at the First Presidential Debate

Palace Insiders on the Monarchy’s Difficult Year

Inside the  Titan Sub Recovery : A Hopeful Rescue Turned Tragic Mission

I Taught the Taylor Swift Class at Harvard. Here’s My Thesis

The Best Movies of 2024 , So Far

Why You Can’t Look Away From the Karen Read Trial

Putin Is Banking On a Trump Win for His New World Order

What Is Cinema? Filmmaking Masters Share Their Secrets

Awards and Audio Editor

By Savannah Walsh

By David Canfield

By Derek Lawrence

By Donald Liebenson

By Kase Wickman

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter

site categories

Oscar nominees luncheon: tom cruise the center of attention, malala supports short film and ‘everything everywhere’ cheered.

THR's executive editor of awards coverage was in the room for the 41st gathering of its kind.

By Scott Feinberg

Scott Feinberg

Executive Editor of Awards

• Share on Facebook
• Share to Flipboard
• Send an Email
• Show additional share options
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on Pinterest
• Share on Reddit
• Share on Tumblr
• Share on Whats App
• Print the Article
• Post a Comment

If there was any doubt that Tom Cruise is the biggest movie star in Hollywood, that was eradicated on Monday afternoon at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 41st Oscar Nominees Luncheon , where the producing nominee for Top Gun: Maverick — making his first appearance of the season on the awards circuit — was swarmed by virtually everyone else in the Beverly Hilton’s International Ballroom.

Related Stories

Acting icon isabelle huppert to receive french lumière award, espy awards: simone biles, caitlin clark, patrick mahomes among 2024 nominees.

As Academy president Janet Yang said in her remarks welcoming the 186 nominees (or, in the case of four individuals, directors of Oscar-nominated international features) who were in attendance, “You are all winners” — which, she politely refrained from adding, will not be the case on March 12, when the 95th Oscars ceremony takes place across town at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and only a fraction of the nominees leave with a golden statuette. (The ceremony will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.)

The first-term Academy president also delivered an implicit rebuke of last year’s controversial decision to not air live the presentation of all 23 awards on the Oscars telecast. “Our focus for the upcoming Oscars will, in fact, be on unity, partnership and the collaborative nature of cinema,” she stated. “We shall celebrate the power of entire film crews and the behind-the-scenes magic that makes movies possible and powerful.” And, she added to even louder applause, “We have worked really hard to present all awards live on the show this year — so we need to be sensitive to our running time. You’ve got to work with us. This is live television, after all. Translation: keep it [acceptance speeches] short, sweet and to the point, please.” (She noted that winners will have 45 seconds, tops to deliver a speech before they are cut off.)

Following a montage of clips sourced from social media posts in which a handful of this year’s nominees reacted in real-time to the announcement of their nominations back on Jan. 24, Academy governor DeVon Franklin called up the nominees, one by one, to take their places on bleachers that were set up for the annual “class photo.”

Does any of this reflect the tastes of the Academy overall? We’ll find out in just 27 days!

THR Newsletters

Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day

More from The Hollywood Reporter

‘big daddy’ turns 25: how adam sandler proved his star power with the comedy hit, amazon prime video’s new releases coming in july 2024, what ‘a sacrifice’ director jordan scott learned from father sir ridley, ‘trans memoria’ director victoria verseau on how the film “saved me” and everyone is in “transition”, kevin costner’s moment of truth: with ‘horizon,’ has the gambler’s luck finally run out, kevin costner says he makes “movies for men” but always strives to include “strong women characters”.

A star among stars: Tom Cruise turns lunch for Oscar nominees into meet-and-greet

Sixty-year-old actor nominated this year as a producer of best picture contender top gun: maverick.

Elvis star Austin Butler finally got an audience with Tom Cruise. Photograph: Sinna Nasseri/The New York Times

For the privileged few embarking on an Oscar campaign, the path to a nomination asks you to hobnob with so many of the same people that over the course of many months, your competitors can begin to feel like classmates.

But on Monday afternoon, at a luncheon held in Beverly Hills, California, for this year’s Oscar nominees, the arrival of a new student caused quite a stir.

That would be Tom Cruise, nominated this year as a producer of the popular best picture contender Top Gun: Maverick . He was among the first notable names to walk into the ballroom of the Beverly Hilton. The 60-year-old star had sat out the Golden Globes and the Critics Choice Awards this season, so many of his fellow nominees were encountering him for the first time. Before long, the ballroom had turned into a meet-and-greet.

Together in the ballroom crush: Michelle Williams, Hong Chau, Steven Spielberg, Jamie Lee Curtis and Tom Cruise. Photograph: Sinna Nasseri/The New York Times

The Fabelmans castmates Judd Hirsch and Michelle Williams share a moment at the luncheon. Photograph: Roger Kisby/The New York Times

“I love you, I love you, oh, my God!” said Everything Everywhere All at Once star Ke Huy Quan, who hopped in place, exclaiming, “I want a picture with this man!” before seizing a selfie with Cruise. Director Guillermo del Toro went over for an embrace, as did nominated actors Brendan Fraser, Angela Bassett and Michelle Williams. Cruise even posed for pictures with Steven Spielberg, a once-frequent collaborator whom the star has not been publicly photographed with in over a decade.

[  Oscars 2023: Record 14 Irish nominations as Banshees of Inisherin and An Cailín Ciúin lead charge  ]

The nominees luncheon is supposed to be an egalitarian affair where big stars and behind-the-scenes technicians are on equal footing, but there was no mistaking Cruise as the ballroom’s top dog: He had the gravitational pull of the sun and its burnt-orange countenance, too. Any of the nominees who might have pulled focus from Cruise had declined to attend: Original-song contenders Lady Gaga and Rihanna were busy with other obligations (including, for the latter, a just-concluded Super Bowl stint), and even surprise best actress nominee Andrea Riseborough was missing in action.

A caterer brings out appetisers at the luncheon in Beverly Hills. Photograph: Roger Kisby/The New York Times

Jerzy Skolimowski, the director of EO, taking a break at the event. Photograph: Sinna Nasseri/The New York Times

Still, simply making it to Cruise took some time: In the schmoozy hour before lunch was served, he was so mobbed by his fellow nominees that he was hardly able to move more than a few feet. I watched for a while as Elvis star Austin Butler drifted with slow, inexorable determination toward Cruise, who finally pulled the younger man toward him by clamping a hand on his shoulder like a stapler. For several minutes, they were locked in such a tight bro embrace that it was impossible to discern what they were talking about (or, more important, whether Butler was still speaking in his Elvis drawl).

Tár actor Cate Blanchett. Photograph: Roger Kisby/The New York Times

So instead, I made my way to Top Gun: Maverick producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who observed the scene serenely just a few feet away. “It’s my first time at the luncheon,” said the newly nominated producer, who’s better known for making explosive action movies than Oscar fare. “After 50 years in the business, I finally get here.”

Malala Yousafzai, there on behalf of the documentary short Stranger at the Gate, speaking with The Whale star Brendan Fraser. Photograph: Sinna Nasseri/The New York Times

Stephanie Hsu of Everything Everywhere All at Once who is a supporting actress nominee. Photograph: Sinna Nasseri/The New York Times

It was not the first time at the luncheon for songwriter Diane Warren, who has been nominated for an Oscar 13 times before and is back in contention this year for the song Applause, from the film Tell It Like a Woman.

“It’s my favourite day,” Warren said. “No one’s a loser yet, everybody’s a winner.” I noted that Warren had received an honorary Oscar in November, and asked whether it had dimmed her desire to win a competitive statuette. “No, I still want to win,” she said, grinning. “He wants a friend!”

Black Panther star Angela Bassett with Tom Cruise while Top Gun: Maverick screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie and Austin Butler chat. Photograph: Sinna Nasseri for The New York Times

As the nominees and their guests took their seats to eat mushroom risotto, the academy president, Janet Yang, came to the stage and addressed the fallout from the organisation’s handling of the Will Smith slap at last year’s ceremony.

[  Deathly dull Grammys and Oscars are heading for either oblivion or reinvention  ]

“It was inadequate,” Yang said. “We learned from this that the academy must be fully transparent and accountable in our actions, and particularly in times of crisis, we must act swiftly, compassionately and decisively.”

One unrelated tweak has already been made: Unlike last year, when eight below-the-line Oscars were presented just before the telecast began, Yang promised that each category would be aired live during the March 12th telecast. Because of that, Yang pleaded with the nominees to keep their speeches short: “We need to be sensitive to our running time,” she said. “This is live television, after all.”

Nominees from Everything Everywhere All at Once included, Jamie Lee Curtis, directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert and producer Jonathan Wang. Photograph: Roger Kisby/The New York Times

Steven Spielberg with Ke Huy Quan, who as a child starred in the director’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Photograph: Sinna Nasseri/The New York Times

With that settled, the nominees were called one by one to the front of the stage, where they would pose together for one big “class photo.” The first name announced was Jamie Lee Curtis, who had earned her first Oscar nomination this year for Everything Everywhere All at Once.

“I’ve been acting since I was 19 and I’m 64 – do the math,” Curtis said. “That’s many years of watching this photograph being taken.” Her late parents, actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, had been Oscar nominees. “To be connected through this legacy of their work and my work and now being included here, it’s very powerful,” she said.

Michelle Yeoh, who features in Everything Everywhere All at Once, and The Banshees of Inisherin actor Brendan Gleeson. Photograph: Roger Kisby/The New York Times

Causeway star Brian Tyree Henry. Photograph: Roger Kisby/The New York Times

Eventually, with all the nominees assembled, producer and academy governor DeVon Franklin counted down to a flashbulb – pop! – then counted down again as the academy photographer took another picture. “All right, three more,” Franklin said.

“I’ve got one more expression,” shouted best-actor nominee Colin Farrell for The Banshees of Inisherin.

Moments earlier, Farrell had been in an animated conversation with Warren, who was standing on the riser behind him. When the pictures were finished and the attendees started to make their way out of the ballroom, I asked Warren what they had discussed.

“We talked about how we both did very badly at school,” she said, “and now here we are, at the coolest graduation picture ever.” – This article originally appeared in The New York Times .

Steven Spielberg with Tom Cruise at the luncheon. Photograph: Sinna Nasseri/The New York Times

2023 The New York Times Company

IN THIS SECTION

Lily gladstone: ‘we are done with being told our stories won’t resonate. that’s been proven wrong so often’, eternal you: documentary portrait about the rush to digitally resurrect dead loved ones is scarier than any ai fiction, the movie quiz: who appeared in all three of the godfathers, a quiet place: day one – gnarly prequel is even more sombre than its predecessors, a greyhound of a girl: terrific irish ensemble enlivens charming tale that makes weighty themes feel feather-light, ‘we are not going to say we are going to get over his loss because we won’t’, mick wallace tells son’s funeral, luas services disrupted after ‘reckless motorist’ left van on tracks, ‘the experience is almost otherworldly’: at taylor swift with the tortured dads department, i saw a video of my ex-girlfriend on a porn site but i don’t think she knows, galway knock dublin out of the all-ireland in second half thriller, latest stories, a truth and reconciliation commission in northern ireland would require a high level of mutual trust.

Germany storm past Denmark into quarter-finals after wild night in Dortmund

Man (41) appears in court charged with murder of brother in Co Kerry

Defending champions Dublin fall in the face of powerful Galway second half

Tipperary claim extra-time victory over Kilkenny to take minor title despite two red cards

Woman assaulted by Irish soldier calls for new hate crime laws in Pride speech

• Terms & Conditions
• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Information
• Cookie Settings
• Community Standards

‘Thelma’ Star June Squibb, Age 94, Is Our Next Great Action Hero

NEVER TOO LATE

The Oscar nominee’s career takes an unexpected turn with the indie hit “Thelma.” After doing her own stunts in the action comedy, she makes a case for being the next Tom Cruise.

Kevin Fallon

Senior Editor, Obsessed

Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Magnolia Pictures/Getty Images

There’s not a lot of people who get spates of headlines and articles written about them, all with the words “kick ass” in front of their name.

“I love it,” Oscar-nominated actress June Squibb tells The Daily Beast’s Obsessed about her newly anointed moniker. “I’ve been telling people I will kick their ass.”

If you were among those who helped turn the new movie Thelma into an indie box-office smash over the weekend—or even just saw Squibb’s work in the film’s trailer —then you believe her promise: “Oh, I could do it. Yes.”

At age 94, Squibb is an unlikely action hero—and yet, an undeniable one.

The actress, who received her first Oscar nomination in 2014 for Alexander Payne’s Nebraska, stresses that she was actually 92 (and turned 93) when she filmed Thelma . The film, written and directed by Josh Margolin , is inspired by his own grandmother’s experience being conned out of thousands of dollars by scammers, after they called her pretending to be him asking for bail money because he had been arrested.

In the film, Thelma is mortified when she learns that she had been targeted because she was elderly, and easily duped. “Oh, I’m so embarrassed,” she moans, addressing her dead husband, needing comfort after the distressing incident. Her family uses the incident as an excuse to coddle her over her old age, insisting that she can no longer care for herself. When the police tell her that getting money back is a lost cause, she takes matters into her own hands.

What follows is Squibb’s own version of a Mission: Impossible -style caper, her first time as an action-movie leading lady after six decades in the business—and revitalizing the genre as a grandma seeking revenge.

She hijacks an electric scooter, speeding through the city streets like it’s a hot rod. (The film’s clever poster has her stern-faced with aviator sunglasses on, looking like Tom Cruise , with the film’s title and tagline spelled out in needlepoint.) She breaks into a friend’s house and steals her gun, locates the scammers in the back of an antique shop, and climbs over the fallen lamp stands and ducks under low-hanging chandeliers like they’re security laser beams in a bank vault. At one point, she walks away from an explosion in slow motion.

With the film already a crowd-pleasing hit, we talked with Squibb about finding dignity in aging, doing her own stunts at age 92, defying expectations, and being busier now than she’s been in her entire career.

I saw Thelma at Sundance , and got to witness the immediate love it received there. Did you know when you were filming this that it had the possibility to be the kind of move that people rally around in this way?

I don’t think we did. I think we knew this was a very special film. I think we were all very proud of it, and we really did enjoy doing it. But until Sundance—and we were all there—I don’t think any of us ever dreamt that we would get the love we were getting from people who saw the film. It’s just been amazing. In all my career, I’ve never had anything like this.

What’s really special about the film is that, while there is the fun of the action-movie elements, it’s also tackling something very serious: the scams targeted toward elderly people.

I think today, when you make a film, you have to have something like the scam [storyline], where you want to get serious about it. You want to talk about it, and you want to make a difference. I think we take the cover off of the scam thing, and people understand it. And then I just think the action is a hoot. I love it. I just, I think that Josh had been so smart, and his script and his ideas for this lady. [ Laughing ] I think she is an action hero.

June Squibb and Fred Hechinger

Magnolia Pictures

One thing that makes this character work so well is that she’s motivated by a pursuit of dignity, when what happens to these people who are scammed can be so undignifying.

One thing I related to is when she said to her dead husband, “Oh, I’m so embarrassed, Teddy, I made a mistake.” I think you do feel that. You feel dumb. You feel like, how did they put that over on me? And in truth, [these scammers] are very smart. Now they have the AI thing too, which can call you and make it sound like someone you know. So I think we have to get over that. I think we have to get over our embarrassment and instead do something about it. And hope that the police will do something about it, or the telephone network, whoever. Zuckerberg. [ Laughs ]

When you first read the script and saw how much action there was going to be in it, did that excite you or make you nervous?

It excited me. The whole scooter thing excited me. I thought, this will be fun to shoot. Just be on that scooter, I thought that was a great idea. I don’t think I thought early on what it would entail, physically: the bedrolls [rolling over a mattress like an action star sliding over a car’s hood], going through that antique store, you know, things like that. But as we got to filming it, I just felt, “Yeah, I can do this.” And I did most of it.

What did it feel like when you were actually doing those stunts, like the bedrolls?

It felt great. You say, “I think I can do it,” but you're not sure. I said, just let me try. “Let me see.” Like the bedroll, both of them. And they were both different. It wasn’t the same bedroll each time. But I just felt I understood what they wanted, and that I could do it. So I just sort of threw my body into it, and could do it. The second one especially was very impressive to the crew and everybody around.

People have compared the film to Mission: Impossible , which I guess would make you its Tom Cruise.

Yeah! I think I am. I love the [espionage sequence with the hearing aids]. Then when Richard [Roundtree] and I walk away from the [exploding] antique store with the flame behind us, I just think that’s a hoot. I still laugh at it every time I see it.

When I wrote about the film at Sundance, like a lot of people have been doing, I put your age in the headline. Some people messaged me that they thought it was ageist to do that. How do you feel about the fact that your age has become such a huge part of the narrative of this movie and people’s interest in it?

It doesn’t embarrass me. I think it’s fine. I sometimes begin to feel like, well, if someone says I’m 94 one more time... [ Laughs ] I was actually 92 and 93 when I shot the film. But it is a film about aging. I think people would be remiss not to mention this, because that’s the whole concept of the film: that it doesn’t destroy her life to be at this age.

There’s a difficult balance to strike between talking about aging in a realistic way, with humor, and being demeaning or leaning into clichés that are debasing. What is the trick to nailing that in a film like Thelma ?

I think if it’s done honestly, it’s OK. That’s one thing that Josh did. He never laughed at her or at anything she was doing. But we looked at it with humor. It’s what you do in life. I think if we all didn’t look at our lives humorously, we would be sad as hell. It would be much more difficult to go through life if you didn’t have humor.

Dennis McCoig, June Squibb and Bruce Dern in Nebraska

Paramount Pictures

How does it feel to be at a part of your career where it seems like you’re mostly getting offers for roles?

That's wonderful, and that actually started happening after Nebraska , after the Oscar nomination. For some reason, it’s like you get an Oscar nomination, and you don't audition anymore. You sometimes meet somebody. You might meet a director or meet a star. But you’re sent scripts. People ask, and that’s kind of wonderful—when you’ve spent your whole life auditioning, especially.

It also seems that a byproduct of that, of being an actor who gets so many offers, is that you’re working a whole lot lately. Do you feel like you’ve been incredibly busy?

Yes. It’s funny. I was offered a one-day shoot on a TV show, and I wanted to do it. My assistant said, “We're not going to fly to New Jersey and do that, and fly back [to LA].” And then we had to fly to New York the next week to start shooting a film. I said, “I do want to do it.” And we did it. It was crazy. I knew it was crazy, but I read that script and said, “I’ve got to do this.” So there you go, as to my sense in what I do or don't do.

Nostalgia, voiced by June Squibb, in Inside Out 2

Disney/Pixar

I saw Inside Out 2 recently, and all the kids in the audience laughed so hard when your character, Nostalgia, came out. What is it like being a part of something that is going to be indelible to so many kids?

I love doing it. I really do like doing voice-overs. They’re great fun. And I like Pixar. I like working for them. I had done Toy Story 4 , which was my first of the big features that they do. It’s very exciting. And everybody loves them. They talk about getting the toys at McDonald’s. It’s great fun.

Whenever I watch a Pixar film, like Inside Out 2 , I’m the grown man who starts crying in the middle of it. Did you have any emotional reaction to the film when you saw it?

No, I didn’t cry. I was kind of amazed. I’m always looking at those movies, and I’m like, “How do they do that?” All the animation is so involved and so beautiful. We saw it at the premiere, which made everything sort of heightened. I went through the red carpet and everything. So there was a lot going on. But it was fun just to sit there and watch the film. I always enjoy that.

Do you enjoy getting to do the red carpets, the big premieres, the interviews, the talk shows, and all of that?

Yeah, I enjoy it. I do get tired. As I’ve gotten older, I get tired earlier. But I feel good doing it.

What do you think people will learn from Thelma and watching a woman her age take her fate into her own hands?

Oh, I just hope people realize that there are no laws about age, about aging. You can continue to do so many things. And people are so different at my age. I know other 90 year olds doing different things than I’m doing. You just shouldn’t stop yourself. That’s the whole thing.

That’s a lesson for people of any age. I’m taking that to heart.

I’ve always felt that. I guess I’ve always broken rules. I just don't know how to live otherwise.

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast  here .

READ THIS LIST

Screen Rant

Tom cruise's underrated sci-fi movie that holds 91% on rt needs a sequel 10 years later.

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Edge Of Tomorrow 2: Will It Happen? Everything We Know

10 best tom cruise movies, ranked, what happened to legolas after sauron's defeat in the lord of the rings.

• Tom Cruise's sci-fi movie "Edge of Tomorrow" deserves a sequel, with its time-loop concept and entertaining action.
• "Edge of Tomorrow 2" could explore Vrataski's backstory and offer an original storyline, potentially creating a new action franchise for Cruise.
• The future of "Edge of Tomorrow 2" remains uncertain, potentially due to scheduling issues and other projects for the cast and director.

Although it has been 10 years since this underrated Tom Cruise sci-fi movie first premiered and earned a 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes, it still deserves a sequel. Despite being one of the highest grossing stars in Hollywood, Tom Cruise has seen his share of highs and lows in his acting career. While some of his films have been critically panned but received incredibly well at the box office, others have garnered incredible reviews but remained relatively less profitable.

Falling in the latter category, a Tom Cruise sci-fi movie premiered nearly a decade ago and earned rave reviews from viewers and critics. However, despite its critical success, the film was not as big of a hit at the box office as it was expected to be. Still, its follow-up has been in the talks for ages, making it hard not to wonder if it will ever see the light of the day.

Here's everything we know so far about Edge Of Tomorrow 2, AKA Live Die Repeat And Repeat, including what Emily Blunt has said about her return.

Edge Of Tomorrow Is Tom Cruise's Best Sci-Fi Movie

Minority report arguably comes close.

In a career spanning over four decades, Tom Cruise has starred in many sci-fi movies. While some of these films, like War of the Worlds and Oblivion , struggled to leave their mark, others, like Minority Report and Vanilla Sky , still have high rewatch value. Since Tom Cruise has delivered many sci-fi hits, it may be unfair to label one as his definitive best. However, the kind of loopy adventure, alien lore, and comical action Edge of Tomorrow brings to the table easily makes it a standout film for him in the genre.

Minority Report gives Edge of Tomorrow a run for its money.

Vanilla Sky is no less fascinating with its ideas and twists, but its inclination towards romance more than sci-fi and comparisons with the original Spanish movie it adapts rank it slightly below Edge of Tomorrow . War of the Worlds was helmed by the incredibly talented Steven Spielberg and featured a stellar cast including Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, and Tim Robbins. Unfortunately, despite having the potential to become one of Cruise's best sci-fi films, it was hampered by its lack of fresh ideas and uneven pacing.

Minority Report gives Edge of Tomorrow a run for its money. In terms of influence and innovativeness, Minority Report even beats Edge of Tomorrow in more ways than one. However, Edge of Tomorrow is easily more entertaining because its sci-fi concepts are accessible yet interesting, and its war-centric action effectively keeps viewers at the edge of their seats. Since Tom Cruise is often perceived as a daredevil because of his daunting stuntwork and characterization in the Mission: Impossible franchise, Edge of Tomorrow also gives a glimpse of his action range by portraying him as a hilariously cowardly hero .

With a career spanning more than 40 years, Tom Cruise is one of Hollywood's biggest stars. From comedies to action movies, the actor has done it all.

Why Edge Of Tomorrow 2 Should Happen

The first film leaves enough room for a follow-up.

The first Edge of Tomorrow film has a conclusive ending where Tom Cruise's Major William Cage saves the day by destroying the Omega and reuniting with Vrataski. Vrataski seems oblivious to his identity because Cruise's character gets time-looped back to the base operation after completing his mission. However, the closing arc still seems conclusive enough to give audiences closure despite having some logical inconsistencies. While this makes it hard not to wonder what a sequel could be about, the first movie's alien lore and time-loop trope leave enough room for many new ideas.

Emily Blunt could also benefit from having another gripping post-apocalyptic movie franchise under her belt after her success with the A Quiet Place movies.

Doug Liman once revealed (via Collider ) that " Edge of Tomorrow 2 is a sequel that’s a prequel, " which could mean that the film could explore Vrataski's efforts to end the war as a looper before she met Cage . Using forward-jumping time loops as a narrative device, the sequel could connect Vrataski's backstory to the first film's events, adding new layers of time-traveling madness to the franchise's narrative. Since the first Edge of Tomorrow movie was based on Hiroshi Sakurazaka's book, All You Need Is Kill , the second movie would adopt an original storyline, making it even more exciting and novel.

With the opportunity to explore many narrative avenues with its time-loop trope, Edge of Tomorrow 2 could be as successful as the first film (if not more). It could even mark the inception of a new action franchise for Tom Cruise after Mission: Impossible . Emily Blunt could also benefit from having another gripping post-apocalyptic movie franchise under her belt after her success with the A Quiet Place movies.

Will Edge Of Tomorrow 2 Ever Actually Happen?

Its future remains uncertain.

Although Edge of Tomorrow 2 's production was initially gaining some momentum and Doug Liman had also prepared its script, the film has sadly remained in development hell for years . Emily Blunt read its script and teased that it had great ideas, which promised Edge of Tomorrow 2 could be a worthy sequel that builds upon its predecessor's success. Doug Liman, too, recently gave some positive updates surrounding Edge of Tomorrow 2 by revealing how Warner Bros. is " constantly " asking him if he plans to revisit the franchise.

However, given how Liman is busy with several other upcoming projects and will also helm the sequel to Amazon's widely successful Road House remake, it seems uncertain when he will have time to revisit the Edge of Tomorrow franchise. Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt are also a part of several upcoming big-budget projects, which could lead to scheduling issues for the movie's filming. Hopefully, Edge of Tomorrow 2 's production will take off soon and eventually pave the way for a full-fledged sci-fi franchise.

Edge of Tomorrow

*Availability in US

Not available

Based on Hiroshi Sakurazaka's novel All You Need is Kill, Edge of Tomorrow follows Major William Cage (Tom Cruise), who finds himself drafted into humanity's ongoing war against a seemingly unstoppable race of hostile aliens called Mimics. Cage is killed in combat, but wakes in a time loop, reliving the same battle day after day. Gradually, he realizes that if he teams up with the decorated war hero Sergeant Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt), he can exploit the time loop to defeat the Mimic army and save the human race. 

Andrew Garfield's Movie Debut Was in an Overlooked War Drama With Tom Cruise & Meryl Streep

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

The Big Picture

• Andrew Garfield's early rise to fame began with a standout performance in his debut film, Lions for Lambs .
• Garfield's character serves as the audience's stand-in, questioning the war effort.
• Lions for Lambs showcases Garfield's ability to save a mediocre film, setting a precedent for his career.

While it generally takes an actor several years after entering the industry to become a household name, Andrew Garfield has had one of the quickest rises to prominence out of any young star. It was arguably his heartbreaking performance as Eduardo Saverin in The Social Network that first put Garfield on the map for cinema fans, indicating he could bring pathos and realism to films that were already nearly perfect. While his tenure in The Amazing Spider-Man films didn’t turn out in his favor, Garfield has since reinvented himself as a nontraditional leading man, and worked alongside talented directors such as Martin Scorsese, David Robert Mitchell, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Mel Gibson . Although The Social Network is often cited as his breakout, Garfield made his acting debut in the political drama Lions for Lambs .

Lions for Lambs was directed by and stars Robert Redford , whose career behind the camera has been interesting to say the least. While Redford earned an Academy Award for his direction of the heartbreaking family drama Ordinary People , his subsequent work was relatively disappointing; films like The Horse Whisperer and The Legend of Bagger Vance were far too cloying and sentimental for their own good. Lions for Lambs is perhaps the most egregious of Redford’s failings as a director, as the film beats the viewer over the head with its anti-war sentiments . Although the film itself may irritate any viewers expecting something more prestigious, Garfield’s performance in Lions for Lambs makes it worth watching.

Lions for Lambs

Three stories told simultaneously in ninety minutes of real time: a Republican Senator who's a presidential hopeful gives an hour-long interview to a skeptical television reporter, detailing a strategy for victory in Afghanistan; two special forces ambushed on an Afghani ridge await rescue as Taliban forces close in; a poli-sci professor at a California college invites a student to re-engage.

What Is 'Lions for Lambs' About?

Set amidst the ongoing United States military operation in Afghanistan, Lions for Lambs is an examination of military policy as seen through the eyes of a veteran professor and his cynical student. The idealistic West Coast university professor Stephen Malley (Robert Redford) learns that two of his former students, Ernest Rodriguez ( Michael Peña ) and Arian Finch ( Derek Luke ), enlisted in the United States Army after listening to his inspirational speech in class. Malley hides this information from his new student Todd Hayes (Andrew Garfield), whom he feels has not lived up to his potential. As Malley and Hayes discuss the role that young people should play in the war effort, the film flashes back to Ernest and Arian's experiences in the war, connecting their activities to the out-of-touch journalist Janine Roth ( Meryl Streep ) and the corrupt Senator Jasper Irving ( Tom Cruise ).

Garfield is brilliant in Lions for Lambs because he serves as the audience’s stand-in character. Redford clearly had political goals with the film, but it's hard to take anything away from the sections of the film set in Afghanistan when they are so overt and loaded with takeaways. However, the framing of the film as a singular conversation allows Lions for Lambs to isolate the entire conflict into a singular debate, with Garfield’s character voicing the question, “Why should I care?” Garfield is clearly playing a character of both intelligence and strong ethics, and it's up to Redford as both an actor and director to ensure that his skills are put to good use.

Time Forgot Martin Scorsese’s Underrated Film Starring Andrew Garfield as a Priest

The director took us back to 17th-century Japan for this unsung epic.

Garfield’s role in Lions for Lambs was not an easy one , as it would’ve been very easy for Todd to be perceived as incredibly obnoxious. The film constantly undercuts his opinion that nothing he does matters by showing inspiring footage of Ernest and Arian on the front line. However, Garfield manages to ensure that Todd’s ignorance is a result of him not having an adequate mentor , and not because he is pretentious or cruel. This allows Garfield’s performance to be more tragic, as it's clear that Todd has been failed by the static nature of the education system. Garfield suggests that Todd’s lack of awareness stems from him being denied the opportunities to put his skills to good use.

Andrew Garfield Is the Best Part of 'Lions for Lambs'

The overarching theme of Lions for Lambs is that the film itself feels too staged for its own good, as every situation works out in a manner that appeases Malley’s point-of-view. However, Garfield inserts an earnestness in Lions for Lambs that makes the material more approachable , particularly for those who may relate to his character. Lions for Lambs doesn’t do itself any favors by catering to a subsection of viewers who already agree with Redford’s perspective; theoretically, the film would work better as a political drama if it challenged these ideas with a younger character who had different priorities. Garfield satisfies this role, and almost single-handedly carries the third act of the film on his shoulders.

Garfield being an unknown actually helped Lions for Lambs , as the film’s star power occasionally undercut its drama. It’s certainly interesting to see Cruise and Streep playing against type in unusual roles, but it turns the emphasis of the film on the performances, and not on the issues at hand. Since the viewers don’t have any familiarity with Garfield based on past performances, he is able to lose himself in the character in a more authentic way. It’s also impressive that Garfield, an unknown at the time, was able to hold his own on screen when working with an actor and director of Redford’s caliber.

'Lions for Lambs' Set a Precedent for Andrew Garfield's Career

Lions for Lambs may not have been the breakthrough awards contender that MGM clearly intended it to be, but the film established Garfield’s ability to save a mediocre movie. It’s perhaps the most memorable aspect of Garfield’s legacy as Peter Parker that even those who despised The Amazing Spider-Man films rarely had anything bad to say about his performance. Similarly, there were many “good” films, like 99 Homes, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Breathe, and Under the Silver Lake, that turned out “great” as a result of Garfield’s work.

Lions for Lambs is available to stream on Prime Video in the U.S.

Watch on Prime Video

• Movie Features
• Andrew Garfield
• Robert Redford

“There’s no one like him”: Mission Impossible Star Puts Tom Cruise on a Pedestal That’s Hard to Reach Even for Her Co-Star Robert Downey Jr. Despite His Oscar Win

W hen it comes to undisputed box office superstardom, it is difficult to look past Tom Cruise. The charismatic actor has proved his impact in Hollywood time and again through blockbusters that have cemented his place as one of the most influential celebrities in the industry. Not only is he an icon for fans, but is also respected highly by his various co-actors.

Michelle Monaghan who has worked with the Top Gun star in 3 films in his blockbuster franchise Mission: Impossible , was effusive in her appreciation for Cruise and her unforgettable working experience with him. These are high words of praise coming from Monaghan who has worked with other superstars like Oscar winner Robert Downey Jr. as well.

Tom Cruise Made A Huge Impact On His Mission: Impossible Co-Star

Tom Cruise’s aura on and off screen that has sometimes been controversial, has also played an important part in how the actor has been perceived by his peers. Over the years, Cruise’s persona has found him gaining a lot of adulation and admiration from co-stars who have been awestruck by his passion for cinema.

One of these celebrities was Michelle Monaghan who was a prominent presence in Cruise’s blockbuster Mission: Impossible franchise. Introduced as Ethan Hunt’s love interest Julia in Mission: Impossible 3 , Monaghan reprised the role in 2011’s Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol , and 2018’s Mission: Impossible – Fallout.

Tom Cruise Should Listen to His Fans and Work on This Sequel If His Next Mission Ends Up in Another Financial Loss

Speaking about the Cocktail actor’s charisma, prowess, and her unforgettable experience sharing screen space with him (via Looper ), the Pixels star couldn’t stop expressing her admiration for Cruise and what he represented.

There’s no one like him. He really is amongst the best of the best. He is someone who truly, truly connects with you as an actor, as a person, and really draws out an incredible performance. I don’t know if I’ve ever worked with an actor that I’ve been more connected to in the moment.

These are very high words of praise considering the fact that Monaghan has worked with the likes of Robert Downey Jr. who is a recent Oscar winner, and Val Kilmer in 2005’s Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, which catapulted her into the big leagues. While she had a lot of admiration for these two celebrities, it seems that no one but Cruise can take the top spot, judging by her statements about him.

Tom Cruise Was The Favorite Of These Stars As Well

Despite living life king-size, Tom Cruise has never let his iconic superstardom get in the way of his humility. The celebrity has been hailed by many of his co-stars as one of the most amicable actors to work with on set. His two Mission: Impossible co-stars Hayley Atwell and Vanessa Kirby gushed about the actor (via E News ), with Atwell appreciating his ability to make everyone comfortable on set.

British actor Simon Pegg has possibly known Cruise most intimately from his association with the celebrity since 2006 when he entered the Mission: Impossible franchise. Pegg was effusive in his praise for the Eyes White Shut star and called him one of the most caring co-actors that he had ever worked with on set.

“Of all the mist of stuff that’s around him, in the center of that mist is a generous, sweet guy who looks after everybody. He leads from the top down. And he’s kind of inspiring to be around. There’s no one else like him, he’s the last movie star of the old kind.

“I wouldn’t mind doing a Quentin Tarantino film”: 1 Marvel Actor Has Enough Star Power to Lead the Final Tarantino Movie if Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise Don’t Sign Up 

Pegg went on to add that Tom Cruise’s attitude towards people and his passion for cinema never changed despite becoming one of the world’s biggest superstars. The British actor admitted that he felt fortunate to have him as his friend for over 17 years.

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Academy Awards, USA

• Best Picture
• Mark Johnson

• Best Actor in a Leading Role
• Dustin Hoffman

• Best Director
• Barry Levinson

• Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
• Ron Bass (screenplay)
• Barry Morrow (screenplay/story)

• Best Cinematography

American Cinema Editors, USA

• Best Edited Feature Film

American Society of Cinematographers, USA

• Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases

Berlin International Film Festival

Bmi film & tv awards.

• Hans Zimmer

BAFTA Awards

• Best Editing
• Best Screenplay - Original
• Barry Morrow

César Awards, France

• Best Foreign Film (Meilleur film étranger)

Chicago Film Critics Association Awards

David di donatello awards.

• Best Foreign Film (Miglior Film Straniero)
• Best Foreign Actor (Migliore Attore Straniero)
• Best Foreign Director (Migliore Regista Straniero)
• Best Foreign Producer (Migliore Produttore Straniero)
• Best Foreign Screenplay (Migliore Sceneggiatura Straniera)

Directors Guild of America, USA

• Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures
• Gerald R. Molen (unit production manager) (plaque)
• David McGiffert (first assistant director) (plaque)
• Cara Giallanza (second assistant director) (plaque)
• Cherylanne Martin (second second assistant director) (plaque)

Golden Globes, USA

• Best Motion Picture - Drama
• Best Director - Motion Picture
• Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
• Best Screenplay - Motion Picture

Golden Screen, Germany

Italian national syndicate of film journalists.

• Best Supporting Actress (Migliore Attrice Non Protagonista)
• Valeria Golino
• Best Foreign Director (Regista del Miglior Film Straniero)

Awards of the Japanese Academy

• Best Foreign Language Film

Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards

• Best Supporting Actor

National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA

New york film critics circle awards, people's choice awards, usa.

• Favorite Dramatic Motion Picture

Writers Guild of America, USA

• Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

Amanda Awards, Norway

• Best Foreign Feature Film (Årets utenlandske spillefilm)

Kinema Junpo Awards

Mainichi film concours, nikkan sports film awards.

• Best Foreign Film

Jupiter Award

• Best International Film
• Best International Actor

Turkish Film Critics Association (SIYAD) Awards

Online film & television association.

• Motion Picture

Heartland Film

• Barry Levinson (director)

MTV Video Music Awards (VMA)

• Best Video from a Film
• The Belle Stars

Yoga Awards

• Worst Foreign Actor

Contribute to this page

• Please see our guide to updating awards
• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More from this title

More to explore, recently viewed.

New movies this weekend: Watch Tom Cruise's 'Mission: Impossible 7,' go to 'Theater Camp'

Your mission, if you choose to accept it: Check out a cool new flick this weekend, maybe even one with Tom Cruise doing crazy stuff.

The A-lister returns to put his body on the line for the big-screen experience in the seventh movie in the action-packed "Mission: Impossible" franchise. If superspy thrills aren't your jam, no worries: Ben Platt and Molly Gordon play over-the-top drama teachers at a struggling theater camp in a new comedy, while Laura Linney, Kathy Bates and Maggie Smith star in a heartwarming drama set in 1960s Ireland.

Here's a guide to new movies that will satisfy every cinematic taste, plus some noteworthy theatrical films making their streaming and on-demand debuts:

If you want to see Tom Cruise battle AI: 'Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One'

Cruise's super-duper secret agent Ethan Hunt and his crew are out to destroy a rogue artificial intelligence so no nation can take hold of its immense online power, though the computer villain fights back to give our heroes – including assassin/love interest Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) – fits in this knowingly silly, joyously mad action-fest. Esai Morales plays the AI's conniving surrogate in the real world, Hayley Atwell joins the franchise as a thief in way over her head, and most importantly the stunt scenes are as top-notch as ever.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Where to watch: In theaters

'Be the student': Hayley Atwell talks lessons from Tom Cruise in 'Mission: Impossible'

If you ever embraced your inner diva as a teen: 'Theater Camp'

"Waiting for Guffman" meets "Abbott Elementary" with this enjoyable mockumentary about the dramatic goings-on at an upstate New York theater camp. But this summer is a real mess: The owner (Amy Sedaris) is in a coma, her influencer-bro son (Jimmy Tatro) has no idea how to run the place, and two longtime teachers (Platt and Gordon, who co-directs) can't get past their own egos to finish an original musical. The high-maintenance youngsters grow on you, especially Noah Galvin as the scene-stealing production manager.

'Theater Camp': Ben Platt on the 'great joys' of working with fiancé Noah Galvin

If you need your heart warmed by some familiar faces: 'The Miracle Club'

In Dublin circa 1967, Chrissie (Laura Linney) returns home for her estranged mother's funeral and old tensions arise with her mom's closest friends, Lily (Maggie Smith) and Eileen (Kathy Bates). But a life-affirming trip to Lourdes for the three women – alongside young mother Dolly (Agnes O'Casey), Lily and Eileen's pal – gives them perspective on their past and present struggles, plus brings them together in new ways in a sweet and endearing if predictable emotional drama.

If you yearn for a bloody good time: 'Final Cut'

Remember that best picture winner "The Artist"? The film's Oscar-nominated director and star actress – Michel Hazanavicius and wife Bérénice Bejo – are back with something completely different, and downright hilarious: a French meta zombie comedy redo of Japan's "One Cut of the Dead." Romain Duris plays a French filmmaker hired to do a live one-take 30-minute horror show, chaos reigns when a member of the "undead" comes down with diarrhea, and many, many other things go awry.

If you could use an important history lesson: 'Lakota Nation vs. United States'

The well-crafted, thought-provoking documentary takes an honest look at America's relationship with its Indigenous communities by focusing on the Lakota tribes' long struggle to take back sacred land in the Black Hills. Historians and activists alike discuss how the government violated treaties in the 1900s to exert its control over the Lakota people, how the fight went from the battlefield to the court system and the significance of modern-day concerns over conservation and reparations. An infuriating watch but also a powerful one.

If you were a big 'Bird Box' nerd: 'Bird Box Barcelona'

Based on Josh Malerman's unnerving novel, the original "Bird Box" movie with Sandra Bullock was everybody's go-to post-apocalyptic horror binge of the 2018 holiday season. While that movie was pretty mediocre, this spinoff of sorts is actually an improvement. The story digs into the early days of the terrifying situation, where anybody who sees a mysterious entity with their eyes turns suicidal, and Mario Casas and Georgina Campbell ("Barbarian") play survivors trying to find sanctuary in Spain as a villainous human element arises in their midst.

Where to watch: Netflix

If you never want to go on a hike again: 'Quicksand'

Carolina Gaitàn and Allan Hawco star in the survival thriller as an American couple in Colombia for work and on the verge of divorce. They decide to go exploring in a famed nearby forest but run afoul of a shady dude and wind up stuck in, yep, a large swath of quicksand. That's pretty bad news, though it quickly gets worse thanks to hungry ants and an extremely large mama snake looking to protect her eggs. And thank goodness for the freaky wildlife that lifts an otherwise middling narrative.

Where to watch: Shudder

Also on streaming:

• The action-adventure " Transformers: Rise of the Beasts ," the latest franchise installment featuring transforming alien robots, is now available to rent/buy on Apple TV , Vudu , Amazon and Google Play .
• Wes Anderson's sci-fi throwback " Asteroid City ," with an A-list cast including Tom Hanks and Scarlett Johansson , is also available to rent/buy on Apple TV and other on-demand platforms.
• "Imagine Dragons: Live in Vegas," a documentary chronicling the popular rock band's rise to fame and strong connection to their Nevada hometown, is streaming on Hulu beginning Friday.

Defying age and expectations, 94-year-old June Squibb is Hollywood’s latest action star

• Copy Link URL Copied!

On a bright June afternoon in the San Fernando Valley, the summer’s unlikeliest action hero sits down at a small dining table in the tidy ground-floor apartment that she shares with two cats. Offering her guest a plate of cookies, June Squibb explains that she previously lived for two decades in a different apartment on the second floor, but three years ago her son Harry insisted she move down to this unit so she wouldn’t have to navigate stairs every day. “He was right — moving down here was the best thing I could have done,” she says.

This may not seem like the typical setting for an interview with an action star. But then again, Squibb is 94 years old and nothing about her career has been typical. After decades on the stage in New York, she made the leap to film and TV when she was already in her 60s and quickly found herself working for directors like Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese and Alexander Payne. When she was 84, Squibb earned a supporting actress Oscar nod for her turn in Payne’s 2013 film “Nebraska,” and now, at an age when many actors have long since retired or died, she is finally stepping into the spotlight with her first starring role.

In the comedy “Thelma” (in theaters Friday), Squibb plays a strong-willed grandmother who is duped out of $10,000 by a phone scammer and embarks on a quest to get back what is hers, taking to the streets on a scooter hijacked from an elderly friend, played by “Shaft” star Richard Roundtree . (The actor died of pancreatic cancer shortly after making the movie.) Written and directed by Josh Margolin, who based the story on his own now-104-year-old grandmother, the film earned raves at this year’s Sundance Film Festival for its fresh twist on familiar action tropes and its sensitive handling of both the indignities and pleasures of later life.

Building off that buzz, Magnolia Pictures is releasing “Thelma” on more than a thousand screens, the widest opening in the indie distributor’s 23-year history. The film hits theaters just a week after Pixar’s “Inside Out 2,” in which Squibb delivers a standout turn as the new emotion Nostalgia — “a funny little lady with rose-colored glasses,” in her words — making this truly the Summer of Squibb. For the Illinois-born actor, after a lifetime of playing supporting roles, it’s a new experience simply to be the face on the poster and No. 1 on the call sheet.

“They keep saying that: ‘You were No. 1!’” Squibb says. “It’s so funny to hear that because, my God, all these years I just have never dealt with anything like that.”

When she first read Margolin’s script, Squibb connected immediately with Thelma’s determination to confront those who wronged her. Her second husband, acting teacher Charles Kakatsakis, who died in 1999 after 40 years of marriage, always told her she could have made a good cop. “I think he’s right,” says Squibb, who loves police procedural shows and has several bookshelves filled with Scandinavian crime novels. “I have a great sense of justice, of what’s right and wrong. Since I was a kid, that’s always been a part of my ethos.”

When looking for an actor in their mid 90s to play a role like Thelma, there aren’t a huge number of contenders. But for Margolin, there was only one choice. “June is such a perfect mixture of strong but vulnerable, funny but understated,” says Margolin, who connected with Squibb through mutual friend Beanie Feldstein. “She has that spirit where she just doesn’t quit, and that’s such an essential piece of that character and of my real grandma. I was just dead-set on it being her.”

“Thelma” playfully sprinkles “Mission: Impossible”-style action set pieces into the story, appropriately scaled to a nonagenarian’s abilities. Like Tom Cruise, Squibb gamely performed many of her own stunts, including driving a scooter at inadvisable speeds and rolling across a bed with a gun in her hand — no small feat when you‘ve had two knee replacements. “I loved the scooters,” Squibb says with a smile. “I have to admit, I did not do the wheelie. But I really did most of my stunts.”

In some ways, the physicality of the performance was nothing new to Squibb, who honed her talents as a dancer and singer from an early age. Born and raised in Vandalia, Ill., Squibb — whose father sold insurance and whose mother was a secretary — could not have been much further removed from Hollywood growing up.

“I had an aunt who tap-danced and whistled through her teeth — that’s the closest I came,” she says. “But I just knew what I was: I was an actress. It never occurred to me that there would be any other way.”

While still in her teens, Squibb began performing in theaters in St. Louis and Cleveland before moving to New York, where she made her Broadway debut in “Gypsy” alongside Ethel Merman in 1959. “My first 20 years were all in musical theater,” she said. “I did everything: Broadway, off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway, regional. I just wanted to work.”

Squibb was in her early 60s when she made her film debut in Allen’s 1990 romantic comedy “Alice.” The director had a reputation for firing people he wasn’t happy with, and at one point Squibb feared she could be one of them. “I yelled at him once — I was trying to get a cue from an actor who was impossible and he was blaming me,” she says. “I went home and said, ‘Well, I’m either going to be fired or he’s going to love me.’ When I went back, he had put me in a lot more scenes.”

From that point on, Squibb continued to find steady work in Hollywood, from films like Scorsese’s “The Age of Innocence” and Payne’s “About Schmidt” to countless TV appearances. In 2013, she delivered a scene-stealing turn in Payne’s “Nebraska” as co-star Bruce Dern’s flinty, no-nonsense wife, which earned her Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations along with an Oscar nod for supporting actress .

A decade later, she still vividly remembers sitting in her apartment with her son, Harry Kakatsakis, who is himself a director and writer, watching the Oscar nominations being announced. “They said my name and he said, ‘Mom, you did it — you did it,’ ” she says. “And we’re both just sitting there crying. You can look back on it and think, ‘Well, what is it?’ But even now, I’m very proud that next to my name it says ‘Oscar nominee.’ ”

In the years since then, Squibb has found herself getting recognized in public more often. “We go to Gelson’s and there’s almost always somebody in there that stops by and says something to me,” says Squibb, who has an assistant (also at her son’s insistence) but otherwise still lives independently. “Sometimes they think I’m a teacher they had many years ago or something like that. It’s fun.”

Squibb initially thought “Thelma” might be her swan song, but the offers keep coming in. As a testament to her range, she recently played a vampiric leprechaun in the latest season of “American Horror Story” and will next star in Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut, “Eleanor the Great,” as an elderly woman who forms an unlikely bond with a 19-year-old girl after she moves to New York.

Despite Hollywood’s obsession with youth, Squibb is encouraged by the variety of roles she‘s being offered, which go well beyond the stereotypical grandmotherly type. “Eleanor is very different from Thelma, and God knows they’re both different from the leprechaun,” she says. “I think things are changing. We have these wonderful women doing leading roles at 40, 50, even 60. That never would have happened even 20 years ago when I first came out here.”

Entertainment & Arts

The cast of ‘Thelma’ talk phone scams and unlikely friendships | 2024 Sundance Film Festival

Jan. 21, 2024

Squibb attributes her own ability to keep working to good genes and an active lifestyle. “Both my parents died at 91, which in their generation was very old,” she says. “And, you know, I danced for years in New York. I started swimming for an hour a day when I moved out here, and I still do Pilates once a week. So I think that has a lot to do with it. Physically, I just never stopped.”

And at this point, as long as she remains healthy and able, she has no intention of stopping. “I am completely going against the rules,” she says. “It never occurs to me that I’m doing something different than most people. There are no rules. Now I’m just like, ‘Well, I wonder what I’ll do next?’ ”

So what about “Thelma 2”? After all, every action star needs a franchise.

“Everyone is kidding about that, saying, ‘If June does it, I’ll do it,’ ” Squibb says. She laughs. “I’m like, ‘Oh, s—.’”

Only good movies

Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

Josh Rottenberg covers the film business for the Los Angeles Times. He was part of the team that was named a 2022 Pulitzer Prize finalist in breaking news for covering the tragic shooting on the set of the film “Rust.” He co-wrote the 2021 Times investigation into the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. that led NBC to pull the Golden Globe Awards off the air while the organization underwent major reforms. A graduate of Harvard University, he has also written about the entertainment industry for the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Fast Company and other publications.

More From the Los Angeles Times

Full Coverage: California’s problem with contaminated weed

Retiring UC Berkeley chancellor sounds off on protests, enrollment, housing

June 27, 2024

As L.A. County juvenile halls become more violent, many officers are skipping work

Travel & Experiences

Every thrill ride at Six Flags Magic Mountain, ranked

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy . We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

‘Here’ Trailer: Tom Hanks and Robin Wright Are De-Aged for Robert Zemeckis’ ‘Risky’ AI Epic

Samantha bergeson.

• Share on Facebook
• Share to Flipboard
• Share on LinkedIn
• Show more sharing options
• Submit to Reddit
• Post to Tumblr
• Print This Page
• Share on WhatsApp

Robert Zemeckis is reuniting with his “Forrest Gump” stars Tom Hanks and Robin Wright for another decades-spanning epic, “Here.”

This time, though, both Hanks and Wright are digitally de-aged with AI -assisted technology Metaphysic Live, which face-swaps in real time. For example, Wright was de-aged using footage from her at age 19 to be paired with her present-day performance.

The feature is based on Richard McGuire’s graphic novel of the same name, which was released by Pantheon Books in 2014 starting with a six-page comic strip McGuire originally published in 1989.

“Here” features a new score by writer/director/producer Zemeckis’ frequent collaborator Alan Silvestri. The film was produced by Jack Rapke, Bill Block, and Derek Hogue, along with Zemeckis. Miramax also produced.

The director opted to use the AI technology after Metaphysic’s 2022 appearance on “America’s Got Talent,” where company co-founders Tom Graham and Chris Ume created a photorealistic avatar of Elvis Presley. Ume also went viral  on TikTok with deepfake Tom Cruise videos  and collaborating with “South Park” creators to make Peter Serafinowicz’s “Sassy Trump.”

“I’ve always been attracted to technology that helps me to tell a story,” Zemeckis said in a press release when announcing the partnership with Metaphysic. “With ‘Here,’ the film simply wouldn’t work without our actors seamlessly transforming into younger versions of themselves. Metaphysic’s AI tools do exactly that, in ways that were previously impossible.”

Zemeckis later told Vanity Fair that the concept of “Here” was to be a stationary observer across centuries, with the camera never moving even as the actors age onscreen. According to the filmmaker, this was an unprecedented project.

He added of the storyline, “I think that the film speaks to the truth that we have to accept that everything changes. Where we get in trouble is when we resist that reality of life, and then we get dug-in and miss out on opportunities. […] What passes by this view of the universe? I think it’s an interesting way to do a meditation on mortality. It taps into the universal theme that everything passes.”

“Here” premieres November 15 in theaters. Check out the trailer below.

Most Popular

You may also like.