was tom cruise ever nominated for an oscar

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5 Reasons Why Tom Cruise Has Never Won An Oscar

He’s been nominated three times – as Best Actor for ‘Born on the Fourth of July’ and ‘Jerry Maguire’ and as Best Supporting Actor for ‘Magnolia’.

Yet Tom Cruise, arguably the biggest movie star of the last 20 years, has never actually got his hands on a little gold man, but why?

He’s ‘too mainstream’

Only occasionally does Oscar really intersect with the blockbuster community. ‘Titanic’, ‘Avatar’, ‘Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King’ and ‘Forrest Gump’ are some of the few recent smash hits which also got some awards love. Tom Cruise – despite an incredibly varied and interesting filmography, is the very definition of mainstream.

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People forget that he’s worked with everyone from Paul Thomas Anderson and Michael Mann to Martin Scorsese and Stanley fricking Kubrick. What they do remember is ‘Top Gun’, the ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchise, ‘The Firm’…

Popular actors who became “award-worthy” ones generally had to do so in a film which pitched itself as Oscar bait. Unfortunately for Cruise, he doesn’t seem to have shaken off the stink of $20 million success.

He was robbed for ‘Magnolia’

Speaking of Paul Thomas Anderson, it’s a travesty that Cruise didn’t win for Anderson’s masterpiece ‘Magnolia’, where he played a charismatic women-hating pick-up artist with deep-seated personal issues (see above).

Made at the height of Cruise’s fame and box office power (he filmed it before ‘Mission: Impossible II’) it played with our perceptions of Cruise’s charisma and showed off hitherto unseen acting prowess.

He stole the film from acting greats like Julianne Moore, Jason Robards and Philip Seymour Hoffman and it was the kind of flashy star-playing-against-type supporting role that Oscar voters love.

Yet Cruise was beaten by Michael Caine’s perfectly respectable - but far less memorable - turn in old fashioned yarn ‘The Cider House Rules’. This was Cruise’s best chance to win an Oscar… and he missed it.

His best work isn’t noticed

But at least he was nominated. The other strange thing looking back at Cruise’s CV is that several of his best performances weren’t even noticed by the Academy. There are many that (with another actor) would be swamped with awards love.

Think the calculating but charming hitman in ‘Collateral’, the cocksure Naval lawyer in Aaron Sorkin-penned ‘A Few Good Men’, Lestat in ‘Interview With The Vampire’ (a performance so good author Anne Rice took out an ad in Variety to praise it).

These are roles that with an “award-friendly” actor attached would mean at least a nom, if not the prize itself. But maybe he’s just too effective as a leading man. You expect him to be good, he’s part of our cinematic canvas and as such he doesn’t get the recognition.

His co-stars get all the glory

There’s a school of thought that it’s actually way harder to play the straight man than it is the more obvious showy role. In other words, lots of people (us included) think that Cruise was far more deserving of an Oscar for his brilliant work in ‘Rain Man’ than Dustin Hoffman was for his mannered, yet eye-catching performance.

He was nominated for playing Jerry Maguire, but it was Cuba Gooding Jr who walked off with the prize for his shouty presence as Jerry’s client.

Cruise was hilarious and displayed a surprising lack of vanity as megalomaniacal studio head Les Grossman in ‘Tropic Thunder’, but it was Robert Downey Jr – on the comeback trail and playing ironic blackface – who scored the nom.

And as for ‘The Colour Of Money’? Well, what are you gonna do if you’re starring opposite Paul Newman when one of the elder statesmen of the industry is just due recognition.

His personal life

Any journalist who’s met Tom Cruise will tell you what a nice, professional bloke he is. He understands what being a megastar entails and has been known to show up at his premieres three hours early just so he can interact with as many fans as possible.

But his enthusiasm has also got the better of him – the couch-jumping incident on Oprah being a prime example. That little escapade probably set his career back a few years, as did coming out the loser in the post-divorce PR battles with Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes.

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And then there’s Scientology. Cruise is one of its most important members and he has credited the religion with helping him get to where he is in Hollywood (he can be seen opening a new church-affiliated building in Spain below).

But it’s possible that the stories (whether they are true or not) about silent births, ex-communicating family members and Navy-style teen boot camps has tarnished Cruise in the eyes of Oscar voters, who tend to be more conservative.

It’s possible Tom Cruise will end up being another iconic actor who never gets awards recognition. He wouldn’t be the first (see: Peter O’Toole, Harrison Ford, etc.)

Or maybe as his blockbuster life seemingly begins to fade, which some are predicting after the comparative failures of ‘Oblivion’ and ‘Edge Of Tomorrow’, the Cruiser will finally delve headlong into the kind of compelling character parts which sees him finally take to the Oscar stage as a winner.

Photos: Moviestore/Rex/Snap Stills/giphy/portable.tv/imgur/PA

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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.

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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."

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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.

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How many Oscars does Tom Cruise have and how many times has he been nominated for the Oscars?

The actor is a constant hollywood presence but despite three nominations for an oscar he’s never landed one..

Tom Cruise has been a constant Hollywood presence since he arrived in the world of cinema. He’s evolved, developed as an artist, and has become one of THE legendary actors despite the fact despite a number of nominations, winning an Oscar has turned out to be an impossible mission.

Follow the 2024 Oscars ceremony and the red carpet latest updates live online on As.com.

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As a young man, Cruise stumbled around the United States in search of opportunities, starting in New York , where he signed up for different castings while working as a waiter , until he gave up. It was at the age of 19 that he changed the city that never sleeps for Los Angeles , landing in a Hollywood that was waiting for him with open arms.

The beginnings of Tom Cruise’s career

Cruise thus began his career on the big screen with a brief role in ‘Endless Love’ (1981), to later share a shooting set with another promising filmmaker Sean Penn, in ‘Taps’ (1981). However, his youth saw him participate in a number of adolescent comedies such as ‘Losin’ It’ (1983) and ‘Risky Business’ (1983).

But it wasn’t until 1988 that the actor truly began to shine, with ‘Rain Man’ , a film that won four Oscars, but with going to Cruise. The first film for which he received a nomination was ‘Born on the 4th of July’ (1989), and although he fell just short of his first Oscar, he did receive his first Golden Globe .

Lots of movies and no Oscars for Cruise

From then on, his career went skyrocketing, thanks to his participation in movies such as ‘Mission Impossible’; ‘Jerry Maguire’ , where he was nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars; ‘Magnolia’ , which also earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination; and ‘Top Gun’. A career that has also had its ups and downs, punctuated on various occasions by his interests in his personal life, where he devoted himself almost entirely to Scientology , which also affected his marriage to actress Katie Holmes .

A long, stellar career, but one little recognised in terms of awards. He has never won the coveted statuette . The actor is also a producer on what has been one of the big surprises of 2023, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ , which broke various box office records that year.

Tom Cruise flies high into the awards zone

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The critical and financial success of “Top Gun: Maverick” has returned Tom Cruise, 60, to Oscar contention after some time away. A look at Cruise’s past nominations, snubs and re-entry into the awards picture:

Cruise’s past Oscar nominations — lead for “Born on the Fourth of July” and “Jerry Maguire” and supporting for “Magnolia” — came during a …

... -year span, from 1990-2000.

Cruise’s snubbed performances in “The Color of Money,” “Rain Man” and “A Few Good Men” were treated as springboards for nominated older stars Paul Newman, Dustin Hoffman and Jack Nicholson.

Newman and Hoffman won lead Oscars for their roles opposite Cruise.

Nominations for the first “Top Gun,” all below the line: editing, sound, sound effects editing, original song (“Take My Breath Away,” which won).

Times Cruise has been nominated for an action film.

$700 million+

“Top Gun: Maverick’s” domestic haul, aka the amount it took to, according to some headlines, “save theaters” in 2022.

The sequel’s Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score, another indicator of the goodwill toward it, and how things might be different for Cruise and the franchise at these Oscars.

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Tom cruise's award history at the oscars, share this article.

With Top Gun: Maverick set to compete for the 95th Academy Awards, it’s worth wondering about its A-list star.

Tom Cruise has been a fixture in Hollywood since the the ’80s, appearing in such beloved films as the Mission: Impossible series, Risky Business , Days of Thunder , A Few Good Men , Rain Man , Minority Report and plenty more.

With Cruise nominated as a producer in the Best Picture race with T op Gun: Maverick , would he win his first Oscar if the film won the evening’s top prize?

Cruise has been nominated four times for various categories, but he’s never outright won a category.

He was nominated for Best Actor for acclaimed films like Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire , and he was nominated in Best Supporting Actor for the film Magnolia .

His producing nomination for the blockbuster Top Gun sequel would be his first Oscar win if the film indeed took home the Best Picture honor.

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How ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and Tom Cruise’s Need for Speed Could Fly to the Oscars

By Clayton Davis

Clayton Davis

Senior Awards Editor

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After a making a record-breaking $160.5 million and sporting an exceptional 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, Tom Cruise ‘s high-flying “ Top Gun: Maverick ” is among the top movie successes of the year. With love pouring in for the second chapter of the story of test pilot and flight instructor Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, can this fighter stay airborne for the next seven months and lead to Academy Awards success?  

Casual awards viewers and fans have made comparisons to George Miller’s “Mad Max: Fury Road” as a possible Oscars point of comparison – a pretty wild and far-fetched correlation. One of only six movies to be nominated in every artisan category, Miller’s movie rejuvenated its franchise and arguably the entire action genre. “Maverick,” likewise, is a wonderful callback to its 1986 predecessor and boasts some fantastic effects and achievements.

But the chatter surrounding a best pic nom for “Top Gun: Maverick” feels more like it could be the first instance of the “CODA” effect — a reference to the best picture winner that made h opeful cinephiles feel like “anything is possible” when it comes to awards. But we’ve heard this song before when films like “The Avengers” (2012) and “Furious 7” (2015) become box office juggernauts that also garner critical acclaim. While nominating “Top Gun: Maverick” could help goose Oscarcast ratings, it’s highly unlikely Joseph Kosinski’s air adventure can summon the G-force to crack the best picture lineup — albeit not impossible.  

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The road to awards success begins in the artisan branches, where more than 60% of the Academy’s membership resides. The threshold for blockbuster movies has bubbled around five to six tech noms that are typically needed to help land a best picture nod. Recent movies like “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (2015) and “Blade Runner 2049” (2017) landed five in their respective years but couldn’t get over the finish line while others like “Inception” (2010) and last year’s “Dune” have cleared their markers.  

At the least, “Maverick” has a runway to a manageable four noms. The film editing and sound categories have gone to the same movie in the last decade (no two categories have a longer correlation in the 94-year Oscar history), and that tradition could continue with editor Eddie Hamilton (“Mission: Impossible – Fallout”) and the sound team (the Academy determines which craftspeople are eligible). The pulse-pounding pace and stellar aural beats put the viewers right in the cockpit, creating an experience that’s the most accessible for recognition.

Oscar-winning DP Claudio Miranda (“Life of Pi”) fetches exquisite aerial shots and a breathtaking framework that puts him in line for his third career nom. Cinematography has also had a solid correlation to visual effects with practical effects-driven films such as “1917” (2019) being embraced in the last few years.

With four credited composers — Lorne Balfe, Harold Faltermeyer, Lady Gaga and Hans Zimmer — it’s going to be an uphill battle as the music branch isn’t typically kind to multiple musicians. Not since the 12-person assembly for “The Color Purple” (1985) has a film with four or more composers been nominated. However, you can bet your bottom dollar every concerted effort will go into campaigning the chart-topper “Hold My Hand,” penned by Balfe and Gaga, for original song. After being snubbed for “House of Gucci” last year, Gaga would be wise to take a softer approach on the awards circuit.

Any hopes of the film cracking best picture will rely on whether or not its actor and producing star Tom Cruise comes out and campaigns for the film’s achievements. Always known for his love for the big screen, and his relentless advocacy for movie theaters and the technical wizards that bring them to life, he’ll need to adopt a more hands-on approach to ensuring his movie is not forgotten come voting time. This will include sitting for Q&As with his crafts team, especially as the fall festival will bring new and shinier awards prospects.

The first “Top Gun” was able to muster four noms — editing, sound, sound effects and original song for “Take My Breath Away,” which it won. What will make it so different this time around? The Tom Cruise and the Academy of today are far different than in 1986.

Before the film was screened at this year’s Cannes Film Festival , the audience was treated to a ten-minute montage of Cruise’s illustrious career. Whether it’s sliding across the floor in his underwear in “Risky Business” (1983) or telling Claudia that she’s been a very naughty girl in “Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles” (1994), the package reminded us that his presence is likely a core memory in our cinematic psyche. An accomplished actor, his role as a movie star has brought a dynamic range of characters that have received critical raves and secured awards attention.

After sitting next to two best actor winners — Paul Newman in “The Color of Money” (1986) and Dustin Hoffman in “Rain Man” (1988) — he landed his first Oscar nom for Oliver Stone’s anti-war biopic “Born on the Fourth of July” (1989), followed by his beloved sports agent in Cameron Crowe’s romantic dramedy “Jerry Maguire” (1996). However, it was his supporting actor turn in Paul Thomas Anderson’s multifaceted dramatic epic “Magnolia” (1999) that became his artistic offering to cinema. In the 188-minute character mosaic, Cruise played Frank T.J. Mackey, a self-proclaimed pickup artist for men. Too big of a movie star for the “spirit” of the category, Cruise stepped into one of the finest supporting actor lineups in Oscar history, losing to Michael Caine in the less-than-average “The Cider House Rules” (who already had an Oscar for “Hannah and Her Sisters”).  

After the “Magnolia” shut out, it seemed like Cruise would still find his way into the winner’s circle. He was the kind of actor who it was tempting to think “will definitely win an Oscar one day.” But as the years fly by and he embraces mostly action blockbusters, somehow that moment of glory is looking more out of reach – just ask the likes of Peter O’Toole, Albert Finney or Thelma Ritter. This year will mark 24 years since Cruise received an Academy Award nomination.  

As he approaches his 60th birthday (are you kidding?), can we say with any definitive certainty that he’ll win one day?

Cruise has felt like a prime candidate to be awarded an Honorary Oscar. He could also become the figurehead for the film community to campaign for the Academy to add a category for stunts. Based on Oscar history, “Maverick” doesn’t suggest (nor warrant) the arrival of his overdue Oscar moment. For a nom, the movie would need to bleed into cultural zeitgeisty territory a la Johnny Depp in “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” (2003), and that seems too far-fetched.  

While Memorial Day weekend was marked by barbeques, honoring our veterans, and this year, snagging a ticket for “Maverick,” the altitude Paramount’s film climbs to will depend on its sustainability through the summer. Paramount has what are theoretically more awards-friendly vehicles on its docket, such as “Babylon” from Damien Chazelle, so if the flick hopes to go the distance, Cruise will need to take the stick and steer the film to an Oscar landing.

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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.

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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.

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Can Tom Cruise and 'Top Gun: Maverick' take the best picture Oscar? Why this weekend is 'do-or-die'

"Top Gun: Maverick" and Tom Cruise are aiming to hit Mach 10 in the Oscar best picture race this weekend. 

The critically acclaimed "Top Gun" sequel earned an Oscar nomination last month after collecting nearly $1.5 billion in worldwide box office. But producer and star Cruise, receiving his first nomination since 2000 (for best supporting actor in "Magnolia"), isn't pulling off the accelerator. 

Last week, Cruise turned the Oscars nominees luncheon  into a schmoozing showcase. Saturday's Producers Guild Awards, where Cruise will speak and "Top Gun: Maverick" is up for the equivalent of best picture, will be a crucial test to see if "Maverick" can fly into serious contention to actually win the Oscar.

" 'Top Gun: Maverick' is enjoying a burst of momentum right now. The question is, will it be enough?" says movie historian Dave Karger, an awards correspondent for Entertainment Weekly. "This weekend, and specifically the Producers Guild Awards, is a do-or-die moment for its best picture chances."

Could 'Top Gun: Maverick' win best picture?

In January, movie lovers fist-pumped joyously as "Top Gun: Maverick" earned a best picture nod , along with five other nominations, including Lady Gaga's "Hold My Hand" for best original song.

But "Maverick" missed out in key categories that would have bolstered its best picture chances: Cruise wasn't nominated for best actor, Claudio Miranda was overlooked for best cinematography and Joseph Kosinski was snubbed for best director.

Without a PGAs jolt, Karger sees "Maverick" chances as "slim" in a best picture race which has seen multiverse-hopping "Everything, Everywhere All At Once," and its leading 11 nominations, emerge as the front-runner.

Tom Cruise turned on the jets at the Oscar nominees luncheon

Cruise showed his clout and how to campaign without trying at the Feb. 13 Oscar luncheon. Tom Terrific was the guy everyone from Austin Butler (who called the encounter "surreal" ) to Michelle Yeoh had to meet. "The Fabelmans" director Steven Spielberg was even captured on video lauding Cruise,  telling him, "You saved Hollywood’s (posterior) and you might have saved theatrical distribution."

That was major respect, an exchange that reinforced Cruise's industry appeal.

Next up: the Producers Guild Awards, where Tom Cruise is already a winner

Not coincidentally, Cruise will receive the David O. Selznick Achievement Award this weekend from the Producers Guild, a sign of love from a pivotal Oscar voting bloc already receptive to box office success.

"Top Gun" producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who earned his first Oscar nomination with "Maverick," will help the push.

"Bruckheimer is very popular in the industry, which will help with the producers and with the Oscars," says Chris Beachum, managing editor of awards site GoldDerby .

Should "Maverick" take the top PGA prize, the Oscar best picture race turns into a dogfight.

"If producers don't embrace 'Maverick,' it doesn't really have a chance," says Beachum. "A win would also happen at the perfect time because Oscar voting starts the week after."

The PGA preferential ballot carries Oscar weight

Another success indicator: The PGA employs a preferential, or weighted, ballot to determine its award winner – the same ranked choice voting system used in the Oscar best picture race. 

"That's why the PGA can be prescient for Oscar best picture, because those No. 2 or 3 votes can add up. And 'Maverick' is the type of movie that will earn these ranked votes," says Pete Hammond, awards columnist for Deadline. "A 'Maverick' PGA win would be significant because it's this key group of Oscar voters, using the same voting method. It will really shake things up."

More 'Top Gun' news from the danger zone:

• Tom Cruise is 'Top Gun' schmoozer:  How he wowed at the Oscar nominees luncheon
• 'Top Gun: Maverick' secrets revealed: Why Tom Cruise's love scenes weren't steamy
• Snubbed by Oscars!  Tom Cruise, Viola Davis, Taylor Swift shut out of nominations
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The Projectionist

At the Oscar Nominees Luncheon, a Crowd in Cruise Control

The “Top Gun: Maverick” star and producer is mobbed as Austin Butler, Angela Bassett, Ke Huy Quan and others angle to chat with him.

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By Kyle Buchanan

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 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 megahit 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 both 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 massive meet-and-greet.

“I love you, I love you, oh my God!” said the “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 the 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.

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.

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 ).

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.”

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 favorite 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!”

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

“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 12 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.”

With that settled, the nominees were called one by one to the front of the stage, where they would pose together for one massive “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 told me. “That’s many years of watching this photograph being taken.” Her late parents, the actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, had both 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.

Eventually, with all the nominees assembled,   the 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 (“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.”

Kyle Buchanan is a pop culture reporter and serves as The Projectionist , the awards season columnist for The Times. He is the author of “Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road.” More about Kyle Buchanan

Our Coverage of the 2024 Oscars

The 96th academy awards were presented on march 10 in los angeles..

Our Critics’ Take: The Oscars were torn between the golden past and the thorny present. But to our critics Manohla Dargis and Alissa Wilkinson, the show mostly worked .

A ‘Just Ken’ Spectacle: In one of the most anticipated and exuberant moments of Oscar night , Ryan Gosling took the stage to perform “ I’m Just Ken ” from “Barbie.”

Cillian Murphy’s Career: If you’re looking to expand your knowledge of the Irish actor’s work after his now Oscar-winning performance  as the physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, here are some excellent options .

Bro-Brooches: This year, several male stars wore baubles  more often associated with granny’s jewel box than Hollywood heartthrobs.

Inside the After Parties:  Here’s what we saw at the Governors Ball  and Vanity Fair’s party , where the famous (and the fame-adjacent) celebrated into the night.

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Arriving 36 years after the Tony Scott-directed original, the film was delayed by the tragic suicide of that filmmaker, and then sat on the shelf in the pandemic. Cruise, along with fellow producers Jerry Bruckheimer, David Ellison and Christopher McQuarrie, stood tall when many other languishing films were moved to streaming bows by studios which did not want to wait for moviegoers to feel safe enough to return to theaters. Cruise has said that no way was he going to watch that happen to a film that was directed by Joseph Kosinski to be seen in theaters. Not when he’d put in so much time implementing lessons learned from the first film, when he was the only castmember who didn’t vomit during scenes shot in the jet fighter planes. Cruise set up a boot camp for the Top Gun: Maverick ensemble, to get them better acclimated for the dialogue scenes that were shot in unprecedented fashion in the aircrafts.

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The film became the top grossing film of Cruise’s career, despite no revenue from China or Russia.

Cruise has been thrice-nominated for Oscar performances — Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire & Magnolia — and he was part of the Best Picture-winning Rain Man . Top Gun: Maverick might seem a dark horse, but the sequel is at a robust 96% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, with a solid storyline that featured a touching end for Val Kilmer’s Iceman nemesis from the original film, and Rooster (Miles Teller), the son of Goose (Anthony Edwards), Maverick’s flying partner in the original film.

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It marks the first Oscar nomination for Jerry Bruckheimer, who has a shelf full of Emmys for The Amazing Race , but hasn’t taken home movie gold despite his long list of blockbusters. This one has a real shot to win, because of all of the variables in raising the movie business out of its pandemic crisis moment.

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Will Tom Cruise Be Nominated For An Oscar For ‘Top Gun: Maverick’? His Co-Star Hopes So

If Tom Cruise won an Oscar for his respect the c*ck performance in Magnolia , would there be a Top Gun: Maverick ? That question was posed by Ethan Hawke, who believes that Cruise “kind of seems like he gave up on chasing approval from the industry and just did his own thing” after he lost to The Cider House Rules star Michael Caine at the 72nd Academy Awards. “That’s probably a good thing for him, but sometimes I wish they gave him more prizes for Magnolia so that he had done it again.”

Cruise has been nominated for three Oscars — twice for Best Actor ( Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire ) and once for Best Supporting Actor ( Magnolia ) — but never won. His shirtless Top Gun co-star Glen Powell hopes that changes this year.

“I think Tom deserves a Best Actor nomination for sure,” he told Yahoo Entertainment . “I watched Tom deliver a completely authentic, heartbreaking, and layered performance in that movie. And in addition to that, he was producing, coaching all the other actors how to act in planes and sleeping in the editing room! I mean, this guy does it all. If there’s one person that deserves his due on the movie, it’s Tom and I hope that Academy sees that. The movie is impressive on so many levels, but it all starts and ends with Tom.”

If Cruise gets snubbed for Best Actor, he’ll have to settle for a Best Picture nomination .

(Via Yahoo Entertainment )

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2023 Oscars: Tom Cruise receives Oscar nomination for ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and what else to know

Cruise is nominated as a producer for 'top gun: maverick'; 'blonde' actress ana de armas and 'elvis' star austin butler are also nominees.

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The Academy Awards are almost here.

Last year's awards show made history in a lot of ways, some positive and some just plain shocking. In what should have been a celebratory moment for Questlove, Will Smith stunned the whole world by getting on stage and slapping comedian Chris Rock, after he made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.

During the recent Oscar nominees luncheon , motion picture academy president Janet Yang addressed the incident, stating: "I’m sure you all remember we experienced an unprecedented event at the Oscar. What happened onstage was wholly unacceptable and the response from our organization was inadequate."

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"We learned from this that the academy must be fully transparent and accountable in our actions," Yang said, "and particularly in times of crisis you must act swiftly, compassionately and decisively for ourselves and for our industry. You should and can expect no less from us going forward."

Here's what to know about the 95th annual Academy Awards: 

Where to watch

The show will be broadcast on ABC starting at 8 p.m. EST. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

The 95th Academy Awards are set to take place on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. The show will be broadcast on ABC starting at 8 p.m. ET.

Jimmy Kimmel is returning to host the Academy Awards for the third time, his last go around being in 2018. (Randy Holmes/ABC via Getty Images)

Late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel is returning to the Academy Awards' stage to host the show for the third time. 

"Being invited to host the Oscars for a third time is either a great honor or a trap," Kimmel said in a statement released along with the announcement. "Either way, I am grateful to the academy for asking me so quickly after everyone good said no."

"Jimmy is the perfect host to help us recognize the incredible artists and films of our 95th Oscars," academy CEO Bill Kramer and academy President Janet Yang added. "His love of movies, live TV expertise, and ability to connect with our global audiences will create an unforgettable experience for our millions of viewers worldwide."

In a promotional video for the Oscars, Kimmel spoke about being surprised that he was asked to host again, and then is told numerous other comedians were asked to host and turned down the offer before he was asked.

Actor Charles Parnell then tells him, "ABC has tasked us with finding a host who is unflappable.. .and unslappable," to which Kimmel responded, "That's good, 'cause I can't get slapped, I cry a lot."  

"Everything, Everywhere, All at Once" leads the nominations this year with 11, followed by "Banshees of Inisherin," with nine. (Getty Images)

This year's nominees for best picture feature some of the biggest box office hits of the year. Also, 16 of the 20 contenders for acting awards are first-time nominees.

Leading the pack in nominations is the sci-fi epic " Everything, Everywhere, All at Once ," with 11 nominations, followed by "The Banshees of Inisherin" and "All Quiet on the Western Front," which are tied for second with nine nominations each. All three are also nominated for best picture.

Also nominated for best picture are "Women Talking," "Top Gun: Maverick," "Triangle of Sadness," "Tar," "The Fabelmans," "Elvis" and "Avatar: The Way of Water." 

While Tom Cruise did not receive an acting nomination for his portrayal of Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, which many considered a huge snub, he is a nominee this year as a producer for "Top Gun: Maverick." He was previously nominated for best lead actor in 1990 and 1997 for "Born on the Fourth of July" and "Jerry Maguire" respectively, as well as best supporting actor in 2000 for his role in "Magnolia."

Notable nominees in the acting categories include Brendan Fraser, who is up for his first ever Academy Award for his lead role in "The Whale"; Austin Butler, also up for his first award for his role in "Elvis"; Jamie Lee Curtis, who is up for her first-ever Academy Award for "Everything, Everywhere, All at Once," and Ana De Armas, who is the first Cuban actress to be nominated for best actress, for her work in "Blonde."

Historical nominees

Michelle Yeoh and Angela Bassett both made history this year with their nominations. (Getty Images)

There are many history-making and record-breaking nominations at the 95th Academy Awards, which have the potential to turn into record-breaking wins. First, there is major representation in the Asian community at this year's show, with many cast members from the Asian-led film "Everything, Everywhere, All at Once" nominated for acting awards.

These nominations include Michelle Yeoh's nomination for best lead actress. Yeoh became the first Asian actor nominated for best actress. (Some count Merle Oberon, of Sri Lankan and Welsh heritage, the first Asian best actress nominee, in 1936, though she hid her ancestry.)

Additionally, Ke Huy Quan ("Everything, Everywhere, All at Once") and Hong Chau ("The Whale") – both the children of Vietnam War refugees – and the California-born Hsu and the Malaysia-born Yeoh together make it the most acting nominations ever for Asian or Asian American actors.

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Nominees for the 95th Oscars were celebrated at a luncheon held at the Beverly Hilton. (Richard Harbaugh/AMPAS)

Angela Bassett, who starred as Queen Ramonda in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," made history as the first ever Marvel actor to be nominated for an acting Oscar. 

Actress Cate Blanchett continues to set the record for being the actress to star in the most best picture nominated movies, with 10, including "Babel," "The Aviator" and "Don't Look Up," not to mention this year's nominee, "Tar." Robert de Niro holds the record for actor, starring in 11 best picture nominated films. 

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Composer John Williams also made history this year, becoming both the oldest Academy Award nominee at 90-years-old and the most nominated person alive with a total of 53 Academy Award nominations. He is six nominations behind Walt Disney, who has 59, to take the spot as the most nominated person of all time. He has been nominated for and won best original score for the films "Fiddler on the Roof," "Jaws," "Star Wars," "E.T. The Extra Terrestrial" and "Schindler's List."

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Lori Bashian is an entertainment production assistant for Fox News Digital. 

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Emmy Awards Nominations 2024

Predictions, drama series.

• The Crown 9/2
• The Morning Show 6/1
• The Gilded Age 7/1

Drama Actress

• Jennifer Aniston 4/1
• Imelda Staunton 9/2
• Emma Stone 5/1

Drama Actor

• Gary Oldman 19/5
• Dominic West 9/2
• Colin Farrell 15/2

Comedy Series

• The Bear 4/1 -
• Abbott Elementary 6/1

Comedy Actress

• Ayo Edebiri 18/5
• Jean Smart 19/5 -
• Quinta Brunson 9/2

Comedy Actor

• Jeremy Allen White 82/25
• Martin Short 4/1
• Steve Martin 5/1

Limited Series

• Lessons in Chemistry 5/1

Movie/Limited Actress

• Jodie Foster 4/1
• Brie Larson 9/2
• Kate Winslet 6/1

Movie/Limited Actor

• Jon Hamm 19/5
• Tom Hollander 5/1
• Andrew Scott 13/2

Is Tom Cruise a stealth Best Actor Oscar contender for ‘Top Gun: Maverick’?

• October 3, 2022 1:00PM

After years of delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, “ Top Gun: Maverick ” finally opened in 2022 to strong reviews ( 78 on MetaCritic ) and even stronger box office ( $711 million domestic , almost $1.5 billion worldwide). That one-two punch is often a good recipe for an Oscar contender since the academy loves the combo of art and commerce (see also: “Avatar,” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Black Panther”). So it’s understandable why the Expert journalists we’ve surveyed think “Maverick” is such a strong contender for Best Picture. But what about Best Actor? Could Tom Cruise fly away with it?

As of this writing 17 Experts are predicting a Best Picture nomination for “Maverick,” which places it fourth in their overall forecasts behind “ The Fabelmans ,” “ Everything Everywhere All at Once ,” and “ Women Talking .” But only three Experts say Cruise will be nominated for Best Actor, placing him seventh overall. Granted, Best Actor is a tougher nut to crack since there are only five available slots there, as opposed to Best Picture which has 10. But if we look over at other prediction events we see that we might be underestimating Cruise for the Oscar.

Cruise is currently among our top five contenders for lead acting honors at the SAG Awards . He’s in our top five at the Golden Globes too. That combo would set him up nicely for an Oscar bid. It would be the fourth for Cruise following noms for “Born on the Fourth of July,” “Jerry Maguire,” and “Magnolia.” But he hasn’t been nominated in 23 years, so “Maverick” would also give Cruise a compelling comeback narrative, which never hurts during an Oscar campaign. And it would be a chance for the Oscars to coronate one of Hollywood’s most bankable movie stars like they did with Will Smith (“King Richard”) this past year … Slap-gate notwithstanding.

Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs . Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Don’t miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why?

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Top Gun: Maverick’s Glen Powell Explains Why Tom Cruise Deserves An Oscar Nomination

Could Tom Cruise receive a Best Actor Oscar nomination for Top Gun: Maverick?

It’s surprisingly rare that a movie that is a massive box office smash is also talked about in awards conversations , but such is the case right now with Top Gun : Maverick . The movie, while now the second highest grossing film of 2022 , still made nearly $1.5 billion and it’s been nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Drama. Many are wondering what Maverick 's Oscar chances could be and co-star Glen Powell , for one, thinks Tom Cruise should be nominated for Best Actor.

Top Gun: Maverick is being talked about as a potential Best Picture nominee, and with 10 movies getting nominated rather than the face of other categories, there’s a good chance it will happen. But you can’t really have a Best Picture nominee without having awards worthy elements elsewhere in your film, which is where some are wondering if Tom Cruise could be nominated for Best Actor. Glen Powell, who plays Hangman in Maverick , has a pretty strong argument to Yahoo as to why he thinks Cruise should get nominated, He explains…

I think Tom deserves a Best Actor nomination for sure. I watched Tom deliver a completely authentic, heartbreaking and layered performance in that movie. And in addition to that, he was producing, coaching all the other actors how to act in planes and sleeping in the editing room! I mean, this guy does it all. If there's one person that deserves his due on the movie, it's Tom and I really hope that Academy sees that. The movie is impressive on so many levels, but it all starts and ends with Tom.

So if Glen Powell was putting together the Best Actor list he would certainly include Tom Cruise. He believes the performance is worthy of recognition. The biggest question is if the Academy thinks Cruise's work is in the top five performances of the year.

Of course, a lot of what Glen Powell says here about all the hard work Tom Cruise put into Top Gun: Maverick is not traditionally considered when it comes to deciding Best Actor. Nobody is arguing that Tom Cruise isn’t one of the hardest working men in Hollywood , and we know a lot about the extra work he put in to make Maverick great , but a lot of that likely won’t be taken into consideration for the acting award,

Tom Cruise has been nominated for Oscars before, but he has yet to win. Even if he were to receive the nomination, it feels like the win would be a long shot, with performances like Brendan Fraser in The Whale expected to also compete . Still, a strong showing at the Oscars would put the cap on an incredible year for Top Gun: Maverick .  

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CinemaBlend’s resident theme park junkie and amateur Disney historian, Dirk began writing for CinemaBlend as a freelancer in 2015 before joining the site full-time in 2018. He has previously held positions as a Staff Writer and Games Editor, but has more recently transformed his true passion into his job as the head of the site's Theme Park section. He has previously done freelance work for various gaming and technology sites. Prior to starting his second career as a writer he worked for 12 years in sales for various companies within the consumer electronics industry. He has a degree in political science from the University of California, Davis.  Is an armchair Imagineer, Epcot Stan, Future Club 33 Member.

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Screen Rant

It took 6 months, but tom cruise finally something to cheer about with mission: impossible 7.

Mission: Impossible 7 didn't live up to expectations, but 6 months after its release, the movie has finally given Tom Cruise something to cheer about.

• Despite falling short of expectations at the box office, Mission: Impossible 7 has received two Oscar nominations, a boost for Tom Cruise's franchise.
• The nominations for Best Sound and Best Visual Effects highlight the strengths of the movie, even though they may not be the biggest categories.
• While Mission: Impossible 7 may not have the same level of success as Cruise's previous film, Top Gun: Maverick, the nominations indicate that the franchise is on the right track.

The summer blockbuster, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One , didn't quite hit the heights expected of the film, but six months after its release, Mission: Impossible 7 has finally given Tom Cruise something to cheer about. Cruise is one of the most accomplished action actors in the industry and his Mission: Impossible series has been full of hits. Despite being around since 1996, the Mission: Impossible franchise has only continued to grow with the sixth installment becoming the highest-grossing film in the series. This set up big expectations for Dead Reckoning , expectations the movie ultimately fell short of.

Two of 2023's biggest movies came out just after Cruise's latest film, impacting Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning 's box office , which led to disappointment. The movie still reviewed well, but it also had some weaknesses and the fact it is a two-part movie makes the first part's weak box office all the more troublesome. While there hasn't been a lot to cheer about when it comes to Mission: Impossible 7 , its fortunes have begun to turn around. It may not have found the success it wanted, but Mission: Impossible 7 has now been recognized for some of its best qualities .

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One's Surprising Oscar Nominations Are A Boost For Tom Cruise's Movie

Despite the difficulties Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One faced, the movie has been nominated for two Oscars, which is a huge boost for Cruise's franchise. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One 's title may have been a mistake that lost the movie money, but it didn't stop it from being nominated at the Academy Awards. Mission: Impossible 7 was nominated for the Best Sound Oscar and Best Visual Effects , which may not be the biggest awards, but are still a sign of the movie's strengths. These nominations are positive signs for Dead Reckoning Part Two .

Oscar nominations are a great way to market the next film, showing that the first movie thrived in several areas. Other great films like John Wick 4 , The Iron Claw , and Saltburn didn't receive a single nomination, proving that Dead Reckoning at least has something worth celebrating. Sound and visual effects may not be the biggest categories, but this is still evidence that key elements of the movie were worthy of a nomination, especially as Mission: Impossible 7 wasn't expected to make much of a splash at the 2024 Oscars . This gives Cruise something to celebrate regarding his huge franchise.

Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning Cliffhanger Ending Explained

Mission: impossible - dead reckoning's oscars success still pales in comparison to cruise's previous movie.

Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible 7 may be up for multiple Oscars, but it is still a far cry from his previous movie. Top Gun: Maverick tripled Dead Reckoning 's nomination total , grabbing six nominations, including Best Picture. Not only was Top Gun: Maverick up for Best Picture, but it was one of the front-runners and won the Oscar for Best Sound. While Dead Reckoning could win more than Top Gun: Maverick , it looks unlikely the film will claim any awards. This would by no means be a failure, but it does show Cruise's Top Gun franchise looks stronger than Mission: Impossible .

The Oscar nominations prove how important the actor is to each franchise and replacing Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part Two or Top Gun 3 would be difficult. He is clearly crucial to both, but the box office and Oscar nominations indicate that Top Gun is currently the higher-quality franchise. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One may leave the Academy Awards without any wins, but the fact that it has received nominations is a good sign for the franchise, even if it pales in comparison to Cruise's previous success.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning is an action-adventure spy thriller from director Christopher McQuarrie. It's the seventh entry in the Mission: Impossible series and a direct sequel to Mission: Impossible – Fallout. The title will star Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, and Ving Rhames.

Will Tom Cruise Ever Win an Oscar?

A t sixty-one years old, Tom Cruise is now approximately the same age as the late Paul Newman was when a younger Cruise co-starred with Newman in the 1986 drama film The Color of Money , which brought Newman his first and only competitive Academy Award win after seven previous unsuccessful nominations. However, while The Color of Money reveals a Newman who had embraced the old man persona, with gray hair, prescription glasses, and a tired body, Cruise doesn’t seem ready to make such a transition.

Indeed, as Cruise seems to be intent on maintaining the action hero persona that Cruise first cultivated in 1986 with Top Gun , which was released just several months prior to Color of Money , it’s as if Cruise exists in a time warp, and as Newman appears old beyond his years in The Color of Money , Cruise presently doesn’t appear to be a day over fifty. Accordingly, the most recent Oscar nomination that Cruise received as a producer for Top Gun: Maverick highlights the fact that it’s been over twenty years since Cruise received his last Oscar nomination for acting.

Updated January 14, 2024: This article has been updated by Jessica Peerez with more information regarding Tom Cruise's Oscar chances and the actor's Warner Bros. deal.

Tom Cruise Has Gotten Very Close to Oscar

Tom Cruise’s most recent Oscar nomination , as a producer, for Top Gun: Maverick was his fourth Oscar nomination, following his previous nominations for his performances in the films Born on the Fourth of July , Jerry Maguire , and Magnolia . Many were shocked that Cruise did not land a nomination for Best Actor for Top Gun: Maverick , as many thought the film's positive word of mouth and major box office haul, along with the perception of "saving theaters," would be enough to land him a nomination.

Cruise received his first Oscar nomination for his brilliant performance as real-life paralyzed Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic in the acclaimed 1989 anti-war drama film Born on the Fourth of July , in which Cruise, who was twenty-six years old when filming began, portrays Kovic over a twenty-year period, beginning in Kovic’s senior year of high school. Indeed, the stark transformation Cruise undergoes throughout the film undoubtedly represents the most impressive acting achievement of Cruise’s career. However, while Cruise was considered a serious Oscar contender for Born on the Fourth of July , Cruise was defeated by Daniel Day-Lewis, who won the Oscar for Day-Lewis’ memorable performance in My Left Foot .

Cruise received his second Oscar nomination for his comedic titular performance as a love-starved sports agent in the 1996 comedy-drama film Jerry Maguire but was defeated by Geoffrey Rush from Shine , while Michael Caine’s performance in the 1999 drama film The Cider House Rules won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar over Cruise’s emotionally-charged performance as a misogynistic motivational speaker in the 1999 ensemble drama film Magnolia .

No More Risky Business

In pursuing the role of Ron Kovic in Born on the Fourth of July , Tom Cruise said that while he had already achieved major film stardom with Top Gun , he nonetheless felt the need to test himself as a dramatic actor, to essentially find out if he was more than just a pretty face and was capable of becoming a truly great film actor. Indeed, Born on the Fourth of July marked the beginning of an intensive testing period for Cruise, who had already proved that he could more than hold his own alongside Paul Newman in The Color of Money and Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man and then did the same against screen giants Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men and Gene Hackman in The Firm .

However, while Cruise has certainly demonstrated a willingness to take physical risks since his last Oscar-nominated appearance in Magnolia and has certainly broken new technical ground in the action and science-fiction film genres over the past twenty years, Cruise has also stopped taking creative and dramatic risks, certainly compared to the 1980s and 1990s, and has stopped testing himself as an actor, as Cruise has seemingly stopped pursuing character-based film roles in favor of maintaining his lucrative standing in his now well-worn genre spaces.

Related: Top Gun Maverick: 10 Reasons it Surpasses the Original

Except for his performances as foul-mouthed Hollywood studio executive Les Grossman in the 2008 action comedy film Tropic Thunder and icy professional killer Vincent in the 2004 action thriller film Collateral , Cruise has shown an increasing unwillingness to leave his comfort zone as an actor and a star, and this has made his path to winning a competitive Oscar much more difficult. Since 2010, the actor has mainly stayed within the action genre with four Mission: Impossible films: Oblivion, Edge of Tomorrow, The Mummy, and Top Gun: Maverick . The closest thing he has done as a character drama in the past decade was American Made , which received mixed reviews from critics.

In many ways, Cruise has now prioritized box office over awards recognition, and it has not been a bad call. Following a very public fallout with Paramount Pictures in 2006, he dipped his toe into dramas like Lions for Lambs and Valkyrie , but both disappointed at the box office and also failed to land box office success. Meanwhile, Misson: Impossible became a much bigger action franchise in the 2010s as he made the death-defying stunts he was attempting part of the marketing campaign, and Top Gun: Maverick became the biggest film of his career and currently is the twelfth highest-grossing film worldwide. Cruise seems to have decided his legacy is now in being one of the last few movie stars who can bring audiences out to the theater over potentially winning an award.

A New Deal: Could It Mean An Oscar?

Broadening his horizons and kick-starting 2024, Cruise has now signed a deal with Warner Bros. As per the agreement, Cruise will be developing and producing theatrical films with Warner Bros. Discovery . The actor is set to star in both original films and franchises through the deal. As per Warner Bros. chiefs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, the agreement's main intent is to take Warner Bros. back to its glory days. Cruise has also expressed his commitment to making great films together with the studio.

The deal between Cruise and Warner Bros. may also yield benefits other than great films. It may possibly pave the path to Cruise winning an Oscar. The actor's last original film was 2010's Knight and Day, in which Cruise starred alongside Cameron Diaz. Despite the reputed talent leading the film, Knight and Day did not see much success. However, with the experience the actor has gained since then, future original films could take a different route.

Related: 12 Directors That Tom Cruise Should Work With Next

The deal also provides Cruise the chance to step away from his action comfort zone and instead delve more into dramatic, theatrical work. Doing so would allow Cruise to portray himself as a truly dynamic actor with a skill set more impressive than what his action-centered films have brought viewers. However, whether Cruise chooses to do so remains to be seen.

While Cruise will likely return for Edge of Tomorrow 2 , it is curious if any of the major Warner Bros. IPs that the studio has would draw Cruise in. Fans might want Crusie to be Green Lantern in the DCU , but does he want that? As Cruise gets older and the past decade is defined by action films, maybe he is looking for a return to the character dramas of the 1990s like Jerry Maguire and A Few Good Men , which were hits with both critics and audiences without needing explosions.

The Sentimental Favorite

If Cruise chooses to stick to his tried and tested genre of films, even with the Warner Bros. deal, there is still the possibility of sentimentality bringing Cruise an Oscar. The actor has the chance of winning an honorary Oscar, which Tom Cruise, as a four-time Oscar nominee and one of the most successful actors in Hollywood history, is certainly more than qualified to receive but one has to ask: would Cruise be happy instead with receiving an honorary award?

Moreover, if Cruise does win a competitive Oscar in the future, for the same sentimental reasons that surrounded Newman’s Oscar for The Color of Money and John Wayne’s win for True Grit , would this alter Cruise’s legacy significantly or merely highlight how much more deserving Cruise was of an Oscar for his performance in Born on the Fourth of July ?

Indeed, it seemed that sentimentality might bring Cruise an Oscar nomination, if not a win, for his nostalgia-tinged performance in Top Gun: Maverick, although it did not happen. It now remains to be seen if the new deal with Warner Bros. might broaden Cruise's prospects of an Oscar. However, with the actor involved in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two until 2025, it might be some time yet until we see the outcomes of Cruise's deal with Warner Bros. Now that Paramount Pictures is developing Top Gun 3 as well, that might be the Cruise's chance at getting the sentimental Oscar vote if the film can play its cards right.

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Tom Cruise goes maverick and Riseborough goes awol at the Oscars nominees luncheon

Dominating the situation with starry generosity, Cruise took the Academy Award for best hugger – while Andrea Riseborough was nowhere to be seen

T wenty-three years have ticked by since Tom Cruise last attended the annual Oscars nominees luncheon, in support of his performance as the manipulative sex guru Frank TJ Mackey in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia. He lost – his third defeat in a decade, following Jerry Maguire and Born on the Fourth of July – and shortly afterwards set aside his Academy Award ambitions to prove his value as a daredevil action star.

But this year’s best picture nod for Top Gun: Maverick , in which Cruise not only starred, but also produced, meant he was back in the ballroom of the Beverly Hills Hilton where he held focus with an exuberant physical display. Cruise bear-hugged Guillermo del Toro so enthusiastically that the great director nearly disappeared underneath him. He pulled Austin Butler in for a backslap that anointed the Elvis star as a member of the leading men’s club, cracked a quip to Everything Everywhere All at Once ’s Michelle Yeoh that made her hide a giggle behind her clutch handbag, and closed his eyes to dramatically kiss her co-star Jamie Lee Curtis on the knuckles, then cradle her hands to his chest.

As a capper, Cruise embraced Steven Spielberg as onlookers pressed forward to capture the moment on their phones. You might remember that it was during the promotion of their last film together, War of the Worlds in 2005, that Cruise made his infamous visit to The Oprah Winfrey Show, triggering gossip about the demise of their partnership, as well as of Cruise’s career. (In truth, Worlds marked Cruise’s biggest opening weekend box office at the time.) With that tension publicly defused among an awards crowd that likes him – really likes him – it’s might now be time for Cruise to resume his quest for an acting prize.

The Academy began to host its annual luncheon in 1982. That year, only 42 of the 105 nominees bothered to attend. “Those who aren’t here are getting facelifts,” one joked to the Los Angeles Times. None of the journalists in attendance made note of what was served, but it likely wasn’t vegan risotto with mushrooms carved to resemble scallops. A guest with a self-admitted “child’s palate” confessed they planned to pull over for a hamburger on the way home. Still, it’s tricky to feed a room of the fastidious and fashionable, especially when Avatar: The Way of Water director James Cameron and EO director Jerzy Skolimowski have spoken candidly about how their alien- and animal-loving movies prodded them toward plant-based diets.

Cameron wasn’t there, though his producer Jon Landau was, and wore a blue and teal shirt that rippled through the room like the oceans of Pandora. Other notable no-shows included Lady Gaga (nominated for the song Hold My Hand from Top Gun: Maverick) and Rihanna (nominated for Lift Me Up from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever); at least the latter had the excuse of performing the half-time extravaganza at the Super Bowl just 17 hours before.

Also missing was Andrea Riseborough, a shock best actress nominee for the little-seen To Leslie. Few people at the luncheon seemed to have managed to catch the film. Still, as Riseborough is a genuine talent – and a chameleon – there’s always a chance she was wandering incognito through the crowd. Wasn’t that Riseborough who just passed Michelle Williams as she sidled shoulder-to-shoulder with the director Sarah Polley? Or was that Riseborough right behind Brendan Fraser, who entered with his The Whale co-star Hong Chau and then pivoted with delight to greet activist Malala Yousafzai?

The Riseborough rumours were put to rest when Academy governor DeVon Franklin began to summon the nominees one by one to take their position on the risers for the class photo. Since that tradition began in 1985, the portrait has grown exponentially from four rows of short, straight bleachers to a sprawling six-tier semi-circle that threatens to spill over on to the closest tables, risking a splash zone of white Bordeaux. The nominees used to be announced in alphabetical order, regularly ending with Hans Zimmer. More recently, they’re called up seemingly at random, which can lead to unexpected opportunities to mingle during the endless standing around and waiting. Irish veteran actor Brendan Gleeson stood next to this year’s ingenue, Austin Butler. Fraser squeezed into a spot between costume designer Ruth Carter and the writer-director Martin McDonagh. Jerry Bruckheimer scooted in just before the songwriter Diane Warren, who was then followed by Brian Tyree Henry (Causeway) – one of the best-dressed men in the room in a three-piece lavender crepe suit – who fist-pumped as he moved into position. Sprinting in his wake was former child performer and best supporting actor favourite Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once), who had already charmed the room by holding up his orange phone for selfies, including with his Temple of Doom director Spielberg.

The first time Diane Warren took part in the portrait – in 1988, for the song Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now from Mannequin – she wore silver heels. Now, 14 nominations later, she’d chosen glittery silver sneakers. Warren has lost every time, though she did finally pick up an honorary Oscar last year. Undaunted, she predicted that even if she loses this year (for Applause from Tell It Like a Woman), odds are she might return in 2024 with the song Gonna Be You from 80 For Brady .

If the photo stretch of the luncheon had the feel of a high school graduation ceremony, Jamie Lee Curtis was head cheerleader. She was the first person ushered to stand at the very centre of the back rung and clapped until every one of the 182 nominees was in place. The honour – and the duty – suited the first-time nominee, not only because her frosty suit and matching cropped haircut gave Curtis the aura of a silver-dipped statuette, but because her parents Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh also received nods in 1959 and 1961 respectively.

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Finally, del Toro took his spot next to Bill Nighy and the nominees were able to rest their wrists and relax. A few snuck sips of the pink champagne they’d been practical enough to bring over. With everyone there, the gravity of the ballroom tilted toward the stage and seemed to pull all the lights and chandeliers with it. Franklin told the nominees that the photographer would take five photos. Colin Farrell heckled back that he didn’t have five facial expressions. He favoured two: smile and smoulder. “I call this pose ‘the video game character,’” Rian Johnson, writer and director of Knives Out: Glass Onion , had said in preparation, holding his hands at his hips.

Another nominee having an out-of-body experience was Shane Boris, the producer of the documentaries Navalny and Fire of Love, who has found himself competing against himself. “It feels a bit like a blackout,” Boris said, taking in the star-studded room. As for which Boris might take home the award, he laughed. “I wish them both luck.”

The vibe was so cosy that new Academy president Janet Yang didn’t dampen the mood even when she had to address the elephant absent from the room. “I’m sure you all remember we experienced an unprecedented event at the Oscars ,” Yang said, alluding to last year’s slap without mentioning Will Smith by name. “What happened onstage was wholly unacceptable and the response from our organisation was inadequate.” Yang was elected in August, six months after that public relations crisis and the earlier burst of outrage that occurred when it was announced that ABC would not broadcast eight of the technical and short subject categories. This year, all awards will be televised – and in return, Yang, urged everyone to keep their acceptance speeches to 45 seconds.

“You gotta work with us,” Yang said, asking them to repeat the time limit. “Forty-five seconds,” the nominees chanted. Yang beamed. “You’re all winners,” she said. And in the moment, they all were.

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The Oscars Will Air a Week Earlier in 2025

The ceremony will once again take place in March.

The Big Picture

• The 97th Oscars will be on March 2, 2025, a week earlier than 2024, starting at 7:00 p.m. EST.
• ABC will broadcast the event, but no host announcement yet. Jimmy Kimmel is a possible choice.
• Oscars traditionally awarded in spring, with new Casting Director award in 2026; ceremony held Feb-April usually.

Mark your calendars - next year's Oscars will be moving up a week. The 97th Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, March 2, 2025, one week earlier than this year's March 10 festivities. Deadline reports that next year's ceremony will also retain the earlier start time of the 2024 show, beginning at 7:00 p.m. EST/4:00 p.m. PST, making the show's frequent overruns less arduous for those who need to get up early on Monday morning. Nominations will be voted on between January 8 and 12, with the resulting nominations to be announced on January 17. Final voting will then take place between February 11 and 18.

ABC, which has broadcast the ceremony since 1976, will air next year's show, as well; the network's contract with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences runs until 2028. No word has been made yet of a host, although the 2024 show's emcee, Jimmy Kimmel , received good reviews , and is a mainstay of ABC's late-night lineup; it wouldn't be a surprise to see Kimmel take the stage of the Dolby Theater again next year.

When Have the Oscars Been Awarded in the Past?

The Oscars have traditionally been awarded in the spring; however, they are rarely as late in the year as the first-ever ceremony on May 16, 1929, when the silent classic Wings won the top prize. Between 1930 and 1932, the awards ceremony shifted to November for three years to move closer to the eligibility period, which was at the time a year and a half prior to the event. Soon, the ceremny was relocated back to the earlier half of the year, where it has remained ever since. Outside those outlier years, the Oscars have typically been awarded in late February, March, or early April, prompting frequent host Bob Hope 's double-edged joke, "Welcome to the Oscars, or as it's known in my house, Passover". Thanks to pandemic disruptions, in recent years they have been awarded as early as February 9 (2020, Best Picture: Parasite ), and as late as April 25 (2021, Best Picture: Nomadland ).

One major change to the Oscars won't happen next year, however; the new award for Best Casting Director , which was announced earlier this year, will be awarded for the first time at the 2026 Oscars. It will be the first new competitive award added to the Oscars since Best Animated Feature was added in 2001. An award for stunt performers is reportedly still in the works.

The 2025 Oscars will be held at 7 p.m. EST on March 2 ; the ceremony will be broadcast on ABC. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.