Olympics Enlist Tom Cruise for Epic Closing Ceremony

Tom Cruise is headed to Paris. Variety reported that the Top Gun: Maverick actor has been added to the starry line-up of the Olympics Closing Ceremony; and, true to form, Cruise plans to wow audiences with one of his signature stunts.

Cruise, who's currently filming the eighth Mission: Impossible movie in Europe, was in attendance at the star-studded Opening Ceremony as well as the women’s gymnastics and swimming competitions. Now, a “source close to the Olympics organizing committee” has confirmed that Cruise will be the centerpiece of the Closing Ceremony, performing a stunt and handing over the Olympic flag to Los Angeles ahead of the 2028 games.

Though no details of Cruise’s stunt have been confirmed at this time, French blog Sortir à Paris reported in May that Cruise was seen riding a motorcycle affixed with a large flag from the Arc de Triomphe along Champs-élysées Avenue.

The Closing Ceremony is titled “Records” and will be held indoors at the Stade de France on a 30,000-square-foot stage. Organizers promise the ceremony will “take spectators on a journey through time, both past and future,” and offer “new interpretations” of historical landmarks in the Olympics through the eyes of “world-famous performers” and “over a hundred performers, acrobats, dancers, and circus artists.”

Paris’ Opening Ceremony made headlines for Celine Dion’s triumphant return to public performance, as well as Lady Gaga’s cabaret-inspired celebration of the city.

This isn’t Cruise's first involvement in a pivotal Olympics ritual. In 2004, he helped carry the torch in Los Angeles as it made its way to Athens.

The 2024 Olympics Closing Ceremony will be held on August 11.