Fake Tom Cruise Film Associated with Russian Disinformation Connected to Paris Olympics
Have you seen clips of a new documentary narrated by Tom Cruise called Olympics Has Fallen, a play on the title of the 2013 film Olympus Has Fallen? The new film claims to document corruption in the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris, France. But it’s fake. Cruise’s narration was created with artificial intelligence and the “documentary” is actually the work of disinformation agents linked to the Russian government, according to a new report from Microsoft researchers.
Deception in the Fake Documentary
The fake documentary is linked to two influence groups in Russia, known as Storm-1679 and Storm-1099, and it’s easy to see how some people could be deceived. The film is presented in four 9-minute episodes, each starting with Netflix’s signature “ta-dum” sound effect and red-N animation.
The Hoax Unveiled
But there are many signs that this film is a hoax for anyone paying attention. For starters, Cruise’s voice sounds realistic, but at times it has a forced delivery. Additionally, there are instances where the fake Cruise’s narration sounds like he is reading strategy notes made by the people who invented this disinformation.
Disinformation Tactics and Effects
The fake documentary first appeared in June 2023, according to Microsoft, but it seems to be receiving renewed attention as the Olympics approach. The games begin in Paris on July 26 and are scheduled to last until August 11. As Microsoft points out, the group Storm-1679 has been trying to instill fear in people about attending the 2024 Olympics in France. Fake videos purporting to show CIA warnings claim that the games are at risk of a major terrorist attack. Other videos made to look like reputable news outlets, such as France24, “claimed that 24% of the tickets for the games had been returned due to terrorism fears.” That is simply not true.
