Louvre heist or Hollywood gimmick? Internet has some wild conspiracy theories

Dubai: Four thieves. Seven minutes. Eight priceless pieces of jewellery. That’s all it took to send shockwaves through the world’s most famous museum.

On October 20, France’s Louvre was turned into the set of a real-life thriller when a gang—posing as construction workers—stormed the Apollo Gallery in broad daylight, looted the showcases, and sped off on scooters. Tourists were still inside. The museum is now shut for investigation.

But while authorities are treating it as a national emergency, the Internet has already assigned it a genre: heist comedy with viral marketing potential.

From memes hailing George Clooney’s fictional Ocean’s crew to genuine fan theories about a secret PR stunt, netizens insist the Louvre robbery feels too cinematic to be real. After all, Now You See Me 3 - shot extensively in Abu Dhabi's Louvre, is around the corner—and coincidence, it seems, is in short supply online.

‘A national disaster’ or ‘Très chic marketing’?

Theories exploded after Lionsgate’s official TikTok eyebrow-raisingly pointed out how closely the crime resembled scenes from its own magic-heist franchise. Within hours, users were labeling it the greatest guerrilla marketing move in film history.

“A conspiracy theory I can get behind is that the Louvre staged the heist themselves because honestly, how does this even happen anymore,” one user declared on X.

Others noted that Now You See Me star Woody Harrelson just happens to be in Paris.

The robbery has also reignited pop culture references—from Netflix’s Lupin to global hit Money Heist—proving that when real life mirrors fiction this closely, reality starts to feel optional.

Hollywood responds

Lionsgate eventually shut down speculation with a cheeky denial:
“We love the theory – but the Louvre heist isn’t one of ours.”

Whether France sees a crime scene or the Internet sees an opening weekend promo, one thing is clear: this is the most stylish robbery of the decade—scripted or not.