The 95th Academy Awards - Tom Cruise and Austin Butler steal the show at pre-event luncheon in Beverly Hills

It’s been another watershed year for Hollywood A-lister Tom Cruise, who according to reports stole the show at the annual Academy Awards luncheon, which took place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Monday.

The annual event brings together members of the Academy ahead of the star-studded awards ceremony to reflect on the collaborative successes the film industry has achieved within the calendar year, coupled with a keynote address from esteemed Academy members to address topics leading into March 13 2023 event.

Those in attendance included 182 official nominees for the 2023 ceremony, the highest number of luncheon attendees in its history, and included Best Actor nominees Austin Butler, Brendan Fraser and Best Actress nominee Michelle Yeoh.

But it was Tom Cruise who was the star of the show - with Variety reporting that the Top Gun: Maverick star was being hobnobbed by almost everybody in attendance, including Steve Spielberg who worked with Cruise on the 2002 blockbuster Minority Report and then again in 2005’s adaptation of War of The Worlds.

The adulation, many have theorised, stems once again from Cruise’s ardent passion for going to the cinema; Top Gun: Maverick was released in theatres during the Covid-19 pandemic with the actor apparently having fought off advances from streaming companies to ensure the follow-up to the 1986 classic. The move ultimately paid off and Cruise, who also acted as a producer for the film, now finds himself nominated for six awards including Best Picture.

What did we discover after the Oscar Luncheon?

Academy president Janet Yang made several announcements during the luncheon concerning the upcoming Oscars ceremony.

One of the bigger announcements that were well received was the inclusion of all 23 categories in the live telecast. “You’ve got to work with us,” she said regarding the 45-second time limit on speeches due to their inclusion once more. “This is live television after all. Translation: keep it short, sweet and to the point, please.”

Variety also reported that many Academy members had no idea who would pick up Best Picture this year, as All Quiet On The Western Front, Avatar: The Way Of Water, Golden Globe winner The Banshees Of Inisherin, Elvis, Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Fabelmans, Tár, Triangle Of Sadness and Women Talking are all vying alongside Top Gun: Maverick for the top collaborative prize.

The matter of Will Smith’s behaviour at the last Academy Awards was also addressed at the very start of the event by Janet Yang, though the president did omit the actors' name when addressing the telecast - though how many Oscar winners in memory can you remember slapping a host in front of a global audience?

Looks like Yang opted to take Will Smith's advice he dispensed at the last Oscar ceremony and kept his and his wife's name out of her [expletive] mouth.