Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt kick off TIFF 2012 at ‘Looper’ opening night gala

And they're off! The 2012 Toronto International Film Festival officially kicked off Thursday night with the opening night gala screening of "Looper," a sci-fi action thriller starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt. All three stars came out to greet their fans at the premiere of their film, which follows a hit man (Gordon-Levitt) who is tasked with killing his future self (Willis).

Both Gordon-Levitt, 31, and Willis, 57, showed up to Toronto's Roy Thompson Hall looking smart in black suits. But while Gordon-Levitt's ensemble was more serious and formal, with a black tie to offset the pinstripes of his suit, Willis kept it a little more casual, foregoing the tie and keeping his salmon-coloured dress shirt slightly unbuttoned.

On the red carpet, ET Canada asked Gordon-Levitt about what he'd hope his future self would tell him if he had the chance.

"I don't know, man. I don't like the idea of regrets," Gordon-Levitt said. "I'm very happy and grateful to be exactly where I am right now, so I wouldn't change a thing."

See also: More coverage of the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival

Blunt, 29, arrived on the red carpet with her husband, "Office" star John Krasinski, and their arrival was met with cheers from the hordes of onlookers. No doubt much of that excitement went to Blunt, who looked gorgeous in a deep red Roland Mouret dress that showed off her shoulders. Both she and her husband took time to sign autographs for some grateful fans — and, in fact, they spent so much time out with the crowd that Blunt then had to be rushed past reporters and into the theatre before the screening began.

See also: TIFF 2012: Premiere photos

At a press conference for the film on Thursday afternoon, Willis said that he enjoys the challenge of acting in science fiction films.

"Sci-fi films are like magic tricks. At some point you have to let go of it and just believe you're in the story," the actor told reporters.

Meanwhile, in an interview Wednesday, Gordon-Levitt revealed he's simply grateful to be doing so well in his career.

"I've been lucky, recently, and I'm very grateful. My whole life, I've wanted to do what I'm getting to do now," the 31-year-old said, as per the Globe and Mail. "It took a long time to get here — I've been doing this for 25 years. And there's been stuff along the way that's like, I feel good about this, but it's also a step. For a while it felt like, toward what? But now I can say, toward what I'm doing now."