Tom Cruise is widely predicted to perform a deadly stunt on the roof of the Stade de France, and is likely to make a memorable appearance carrying the five-ringed flag to Los Angeles at the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics on Sunday.
Two weeks after an unprecedentedly complex opening ceremony on the banks of the River Seine, great expectations are set for the closing show of the Games.
The closing ceremony will be much shorter and will be held in a more traditional manner at France’s national stadium.
Artistic director Thomas Jolly has revealed that it will combine “surprise” with “dystopia”, suggesting some darker elements than the joyful and vulgar tone of the opening ceremony, which attracted a record audience of more than a billion worldwide.
Giving reporters a glimpse recently, Jolly said he sees the games as a “fragile monument” and wanted to imagine what would happen if they “disappeared and someone rebuilt them in the distant future.”
One scene features “travelers from another space-time who arrive on Earth and discover relics of Olympic history”, including acrobats restoring the Games’ famous five rings.
It will reportedly feature more than 100 dancers, circus performers and other artists, as well as aerial performances, huge sets and spectacular lighting.
Destination Hollywood
The opening ceremony featured some big stars including Lady Gaga, Celine Dion and Aya Nakamura, but more are expected on Sunday.
Cruise has attended multiple Olympic events and the boldest of Hollywood stars would be a natural connection between Paris and the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
US media have reported that Cruise is preparing a spectacular stunt to pick up the Olympic flag and carry it to Los Angeles, with video footage already filmed on both sides of the Atlantic.
There has been no shortage of Hollywood stars attending the Games who could play a key role in it, including Snoop Dogg, Eva Mendes, Ryan Gosling and Sharon Stone.
There are unconfirmed rumours that Beyoncé, a strong supporter of the US team on social media, may perform.
According to Le Parisien newspaper, two of France’s biggest music exporters – Air and Phoenix – are already set to perform.
Organisers will want to avoid a repeat of the controversy sparked by the opening ceremony, which featured drag queens in a scene that some Christians and conservatives considered mocking the biblical story of The Last Supper.
Organisers insisted it was a reference to the Greek gods. But Jolly and other team members have since been subjected to harassment on social media, leading to a police investigation and condemnation from French President Emmanuel Macron.
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