ALBAWABA - Thomas Jolly, artistic director of the Paris Olympics, is bringing in another A-lister for the Aug. 11 closing ceremony, following up on the star-studded opening ceremony that included Celine Dion's return.
Famed for his daring stunt work in the Mission: Impossible films, the 62-year-old action actor is allegedly recording a pre-recorded section that would connect the 2024 Paris Games to the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
In his section, Cruise will reportedly rappel down the Stade de France in Paris before flying over the Atlantic to Los Angeles, where he will conclude his adventure at the famed Hollywood sign, according to the American entertainment website TMZ.
According to the French site Sortir à Paris, Cruise shot a scene while riding a motorbike with a large banner in May. Afterwards, he drove down the famous Champs-Élysées Avenue, leaving the Arc de Triomphe in the process. After receiving the esteemed Knight of France's Legion of Honor last week, the actor will present the 2028 Olympic flag to Los Angeles.
Organizers expect the closing ceremony, "Records," to provide "new interpretations" and "transport spectators on a voyage through time, both past and future," on the 2,800-square-meter stage of the Stade de France. The program will trace the Olympic Games' (supposedly) long and storied history, which begins in Ancient Greece.
A performer dressed as Dionysus—the Greek god of wine—and stunning drag queens posing in what seemed to be a tribute to Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper" landed Jolly in deep water as he stepped into the realm of Greek mythology in the opening ceremony's contentious moment. The creative director strongly refuted the comparison, explaining that he was going for the idea of "a great pagan festival connected to the gods of Olympus." How this time around the politically charged Greek allusions pan out is an open question.
In addition to "world-famous performers" and "over a hundred performers, acrobats, dancers, and circus artists" (as seen during rehearsal), the show will feature a performance set in a dystopian environment and choreography involving the five interlaced rings of the Olympic Games, which symbolize the world's five continents.
