Paris, May 19 (IANS): 'Top Gun: Maverick' had its world premiere at the 75th Cannes Film Festival just a month less than two years after it was supposed to be released worldwide. The new release date is May 27, 2022, a year and 11 months after the original target of June 24, 2020, because of the Covid-19 pandemic that intervened.

But never once did Cruise toy with the idea of releasing the film on a streaming platform, a fate that befell many other films in the early days of the coronavirus. The 'Top Gun' sequel has got rave reviews from critics who were able to see it at the trade event, CinemaCon, not very long ago.

Reporting on a wide-ranging talk that Cruise gave at the Festival, 'Variety' quotes him as saying about the OTT option: "That's not going to happen. Ever."

The audience at the Grand Palais' Debussy theatre applauded loudly, notes 'Variety', as Cruise said: "I've spent a lot of time with theatre owners. The people that serve the popcorn, the ones who make this [happen]."

The actor said he called movie theatre owners with a message: "Please, I know what you're going through. Just know we are making 'Mission: Impossible' and 'Top Gun' is coming out."

Cruise was clear that he doesn't design his movies to be streamed on Netflix or Amazon Prime. He wants the high-flying action to unfold on the widest canvas possible. "I make movies for the big screen," Cruise said.

The actor, according to 'Variety', is one of those people checking out movies at the multiplex. He told the Cannes crowd that he secretly goes to the movies "with my cap on" and sits "in the audience with everyone".