Tom Cruise will perform a stunt during the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games

After a star-studded opening ceremony that saw the return of Celine Dion, Thomas Jolly, artistic director of the Paris Olympics, has hired one of Hollywood’s biggest names for the Games’ closing ceremony on August 11.

Tom Cruise, who is currently filming “Mission: Impossible 8” in Europe and attended the opening ceremony in addition to the women’s gymnastics and swimming competitions, will be one of the highlights of the closing ceremony, a source close to the organizing committee of the event confirmed Olympics. Variety.

As reported by the French blog Sort by Paris in May, Cruise was caught filming a scene riding a motorcycle with a large flag. He then took off from the Arc de Triomphe and drove along the iconic Champs-Élysées Avenue. The actor, who was named Knight of France’s prestigious Legion of Honor last week, will hand over the flag to Los Angeles for the 2028 Games.

Cruise representatives did not immediately respond Variety‘s request for comment.

The closing ceremony, titled ‘Records’ and held indoors on the 2,800 square meter stage of the Stade de France, promises ‘new interpretations’ and will ‘take spectators on a journey through time, both past and future’, the organizers said. The show charts milestones in the history of the Olympic Games, which are believed to date back to ancient Greece.

Jolly found himself in hot water after venturing into Greek mythology territory with the controversial opening ceremony scene, which featured a singer dressed as Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, alongside dazzling drag queens posing in what seemed like a reference to Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Last’. Dinner.” The artistic director denied the parallel, saying he intended to depict “a grand pagan festival connected to the gods of Olympus.” It remained to be seen how politically charged the Greek references will play out this time.

The show – which organizers promise will bring together “world-renowned performers” and “more than a hundred performers, acrobats, dancers and circus performers” – will also feature a performance set in a dystopian environment, in addition to choreography featuring the five Olympic Games . intertwined rings representing the five continents of the world (as depicted during rehearsal).

Organizers’ toughest task for the closing ceremony will be to match the excitement and emotion of Celine Dion’s performance at the base of the Eiffel Tower with Lady Gaga’s cabaret-inspired musical act along the River Seine. On the plus side, because the closing ceremony will take place indoors, organizers will likely save a lot of time predicting the weather. The opening ceremony, which marked the first time in modern history that the event was held entirely outdoors, ultimately took place under pouring rain, forcing Gaga to pre-record her segment.

Although the opening ceremony caused a stir mainly among conservative Christians, it was also widely celebrated. The creative team behind the show are among this year’s finalists for the IBC Innovation Awards, which recognize collaborative initiatives in media, entertainment and technology.