Olympics closing ceremony 2024: Hollywood film star Tom Cruise to perform Mission Impossible-style stunt as Games come to an end
Hollywood star Tom Cruise will perform a jaw-dropping Mission Impossible-style stunt for the Olympics closing ceremony this evening.
The 62-year-old actor is set to slide down a rope from the roof of the Stade de France and land on the pitch holding the Olympic flag. A pre-recorded film will then show him carrying it across the Atlantic on a plane before skydiving down to the Hollywood sign.
The elaborate routine will be the culmination of the closing ceremony before France hands the baton to Los Angeles for the 2028 Games. The Hollywood section of the stunt was filmed back in March.
Cruise said earlier this week: “It’s awesome. Great stories, great athletes. It’s incredible what they have to do, the sense of accomplishment.”
It won’t be the first time he has been involved in an Olympic ceremony. Cruise carried the torch through LA as a part of a global relay for the 2004 games in Athens. The closing ceremony is set to be a much shorter affair and will take place at France's national stadium.
It will reportedly feature more than 100 dancers, circus artists and other performers, with the promise of aerial displays, giant sets and spectacular lighting. Other Hollywood stars in attendance for the Games might also play a role, including Snoop Dogg, Eva Mendes, Ryan Gosling and Sharon Stone. There are unconfirmed rumours that Beyonce may perform.
The closing ceremony will take place on tonight (Sunday 11 August) and is scheduled to start at 20:00 BST and finish at 22:30. For those in the UK, it will be live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. Television coverage begins at 19:00 BST and there will be an accompanying live text.