Tom Cruise to Perform Stunt at Paris Olympics Closing, Handing Off to 2028 L.A. Games
Tom Cruise is taking on a new mission at the 2024 Paris Olympics!
While the Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One star, 62, has been in Paris supporting Team USA, sources reveal that the actor has been secretly working on a high-profile project. TMZ first broke the news.
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For months, Cruise has been preparing to perform a skydiving stunt during the Paris Olympics’ closing ceremony on Aug. 11. According to reports, this grand finale will see him go to great lengths to hand off the 2028 Olympic Games to the next host city, Los Angeles.
The alleged plan involves the three-time Golden Globe winner starting by swinging from the top of Stade de France and landing on the stadium’s field, carrying the official Olympic flag the entire time, TMZ reported.
The Olympic broadcast will then cut to a two-minute pre-recorded segment featuring Cruise traveling to his next stop by airplane, bringing the Olympic flag from France to L.A.
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Next, he will leap out of the airplane and land on the Hollywood sign.
TMZ shared photos of the Top Gun: Maverick star filming the Hollywood stunt, dated March 16, 2024.
The Hollywood Reporter also noted that another planned stunt in L.A. was pulled because the LAPD was hesitant to shut down the Pacific Coast Highway, and obtaining a permit from the California Coastal Commission was also a challenge.
Still, according to TMZ, there will be plenty of other impressive moments, such as Cruise passing the flag to other Olympic athletes along the way. The lineup of champions reportedly includes a cyclist, skateboarder, and volleyball player.
TMZ claimed Cruise came up with the idea and shared it with the International Olympic Committee, as the Eyes Wide Shut actor has long supported the Olympic Games.
In 2004, he helped carry the Olympic torch in L.A., promoting peace and friendship among nations on its way to Athens.
Cruise has been in Paris for the first few days of the Summer Games, first seen at the opening ceremony along the Seine River on July 26.