Tom Cruise, narrator of a documentary on Olympic corruption? This is not a real Netflix production, but a Russian destabilization operation, according to Microsoft. The mockumentary, viewed tens of thousands of times on Telegram, nevertheless met with significant success.
Olympics Has Fallen begins like all Netflix productions, with the credits accompanied by its famous “Tu dum”. However, what follows is not ordinary Netflix content: we can see Tom Cruise, facing the camera, as if he were giving an interview. The actor explains that as a big sports fan, he is revolted by the organization of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, and by the “ corrupt officials » who would not hesitate to “ divert the money “.
Only, none of this is true. Olympics Has Fallenwhich presents itself as a “ Netflix original documentary, directed by Tom Cruise ”, is not really one. This is a fake film, made in part with artificial intelligence and produced by a disinformation group linked to Russia, according to information from Microsoft on June 2, 2024.
A fake video with Tom Cruise created to spread disinformation
Olympics Has Fallen is inspired by the 2013 action film Olympus Has Fallen, in which the White House is attacked by a terrorist group. In the fake documentary, which Numerama found, there is no armed group, but the IOC, the International Olympic Committee, is described by the narrator as a mafia group which would seek to embezzle money. During 4 episodes of around ten minutes each, various accusations are made against the leaders of the IOC, and particularly against Thomas Bach, the current president of the committee. In broad terms, the Games and their organizers have been completely corrupt for years, and the 2024 edition in Paris would be no different.
Tom Cruise is featured as the presenter and narrator of the mockumentary. In the introduction to the first episode, the actor would personally declare that he wanted to shed light on the “ criminal practices » from IOC leaders. However, this is false: Numerama noticed by doing a reverse search that the images of Tom Cruise in the introduction to the video are taken from a message broadcast before the screenings of Top Gun: Maverick. They were modified with artificial intelligence to change his face and clone his voice.
Apart from this detail, it is very difficult to know that this is not a real Netflix production. The documentary is surprisingly well produced for a disinformation video. Fake news and destabilization operations are generally carried out in mass production. It is therefore common to see English mistakes or production problems in this type of content. Olympics Has Fallen avoids most of these pitfalls and can even boast of having careful production, with cartoon parts which seem to have been created expressly for this project.
Olympics Has Fallen also seems to be a real success: on Telegram, where it was initially shared in July 2023, the videos have been watched between 80,000 and 170,000 times. On the channel, fake screenshots showing the Instagram stories of stars such as Miley Cyrus and Jared Leto, presented as evoking the documentary, were also shared.
To reinforce the illusion, messages are even signed with the name of Tom Cruise. We can notably read a text, addressed to Thomas Bach, in which the actor, like a secret agent, explains that he knows all the shenanigans of the IOC president. “ I knew you were going to track down and destroy my site in Britain and France […] Millions of people already know who you are. Sincerely, Tom and the Netflix team. »
The operation of a Russian cyber group
According to Microsoft, Olympics Has Fallen is the work of Storm-1679, a cyber group of Russian origin. In its June 2 report, devoted to Russian activities intended to undermine the credibility of the Olympic Games, Microsoft reviews the numerous operations in progress. We learn that the mockumentary plays a particular role.
“ The use of sophisticated computer-generated special effects and an extensive marketing campaign, including fake endorsements from Western media and celebrities, indicates a significant increase in skill and effort compared to most influence operations campaigns “, indicates Microsoft. Although this is a particularly significant operation, it is far from being the only one currently being carried out by Moscow.
According to Microsoft, another operation would aim to make people believe in increased risks of violence or terrorist attacks in Paris during the Olympics. Storm-1679 would have created a false video from France24, which claimed that “ 24% of Games tickets were returned due to fear of terrorism ”, and a fake video from EuroNews, which claimed that “ Parisians reportedly took out property insurance in anticipation of terrorist attacks during the Games “.
In addition to its efforts to disrupt the Olympics, Russia is behind several destabilization operations affecting France in recent months. Fake news about the death of an Algerian student on the sidelines of a pro-Palestinian demonstration was shared by accounts linked to Russia. The country is also accused of being behind the red hand graffiti on the Holocaust memorial, and of having ordered the placing of fake coffins under the Eiffel Tower.
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