Tom Cruise opened his highly anticipated CinemaCon appearance on Thursday with a moving tribute to his “Top Gun” co-star, Val Kilmer, who died Tuesday in Los Angeles. “He loved movies and he gave a lot to all of us with his performances and his films,

Kilmer portrayed Lt. Tom “Iceman” Kazanski in the 1986 “Top Gun” film starring Cruise as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. The two were rival fighter pilots who eventually became friends. The film catapulted both Kilmer and Cruise's careers, leading to a slew of box office hits for the two movie stars.

Cruise was onhand to show off stunt-heavy footage from 'Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning' and to honor director Christopher McQuarrie with one of the convention's top honors.

At CinemaCon, once split over theatrical windows and the siren song of streaming, Hollywood studios finally seem convinced that they need a solid theatrical business.

Jerry Bruckheimer, a producer on the sequel, said in 2022 that Tom Cruise was the "driving force" behind getting Val Kilmer to return for the movie.

Tom Cruise is paying tribute to his friend and “Top Gun” costar Val Kilmer, who died earlier this week at age 65.

Cruise concluded the touching moment by saying, “I wish you well on the next journey.”

Tom Cruise took a moment to honor his late 'Top Gun' co-star, Val Kilmer, asking CinemaCon crowd for a moment of silence.

At CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Tom Cruise and Colman Domingo hug at during a photo call, while Glen Powell presents his upcoming film Running Man. Meanwhile, Kurt Russell speaks at John Carpenter's Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony in Hollywood and Pierce Brosnan walks through New York City with his wife Keely Shaye.