Tom Cruise is set to add a dash of Hollywood glamour to the Olympic Games closing ceremony, sources close to the event are said to have revealed.
The 62-year-old action star, famed for his death-defying stunts in the Mission: Impossible franchise, is reportedly filming a pre-recorded segment that will bridge the gap between Paris 2024 and the upcoming Los Angeles Games in 2028.
According to American entertainment website TMZ, Cruise's segment will see him rappelling down the Stade de France in Paris before jetting across the Atlantic to Los Angeles, where he'll finish his journey at the iconic Hollywood sign.
The segment is expected to form part of the traditional Olympic flag handover, where Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo will pass the Olympic flag to her Los Angeles counterpart, Karen Bass.
While official details of the August 11 ceremony remain tightly under wraps, industry insiders have hinted at a spectacular show. One source told Deadline, the respected Hollywood trade publication, to expect "a major Hollywood production".
Photographs obtained by TMZ appear to show Cruise filming stunts at the Hollywood sign earlier this year, lending credence to the reports.
The images have since begun circulating on social media, fuelling excitement among fans and Olympic enthusiasts alike.
Neither NBC or the International Olympic Committee has confirmed Cruise's involvement.
TMZ reports that it was Cruise himself who approached the IOC with the idea of performing stunts to connect the Paris and LA Games.
This wouldn't be Cruise's first brush with Olympic glory. The actor helped carry the torch through Los Angeles for the 2004 Games, as part of the ceremonial relay across the globe before the Athensopening ceremony.
Los Angeles, set to host its third Summer Olympics from 14-30 July 2028, plans to utilise a mix of historic and modern venues.
Events will kick off at the Coliseum, built for the 1932 Games, and take place across the Downtown Sports Park, including the Crypto.com Arena and Microsoft Theater.
Cruise has been spotted cheering on athletes in Paris, where the Games began on July 26 with a spectacular opening ceremony along the Seine.
The four-hour extravaganza featured performances by Lady Gaga, Aya Nakamura, punk band Gojira, and Céline Dion, marking her first public appearance since revealing her diagnosis with stiff person syndrome.
