A post about a passenger’s eerily timed in-flight movie choice—watching a fictional heist film just hours before stepping off a plane and learning of a real jewel robbery at one of the world’s most iconic museums—has captivated users on Threads.
“I got on a seven-hour flight yesterday morning and watched Ocean’s 8, like you do. Getting off that plane and immediately receiving notifications about a jewel heist at the Louvre was kind of wacky,” wrote @katiedungar in a post on Threads. The post has garnered more than 32,000 views since being posted on October 21.
Ocean’s 8, a 2018 spin-off of the popular Ocean’s film trilogy, features a crew of women executing a meticulously planned jewel heist during the Met Gala event at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. On Sunday, a similar real-life drama played out in Paris, France.
The Louvre, the world’s most-visited museum, was abruptly shut down after thieves made off with several historic pieces from France’s Crown Jewels collection. The theft occurred in broad daylight and was executed in just seven minutes, ending with a motorbike getaway through the streets of the French capital. The suspects remain at large.
Among the eight items stolen was a pearl and diamond tiara commissioned in 1853 by Napoleon III for Empress Eugénie. The tiara, composed of over 200 pearls and nearly 2,000 diamonds, had become one of Eugénie’s most recognizable possessions. Also stolen was a diamond bow brooch, another of the empress’s signature pieces, which had been acquired by the Louvre for $10.7 million.
The jewels were not insured. In a statement, France’s culture ministry said the state would not be reimbursed for the loss of items that have an “inestimable heritage and historical value.”
By Wednesday, the Louvre reopened its doors to the public. Its director acknowledged the breach as “a terrible failure at the Louvre, which I take my share of responsibility in,” reports the Associated Press.
The unusual coincidence of a passenger watching a film about a museum theft—just before hearing of a real one—added a surreal twist to an already dramatic story.
The coincidence sparked amusement among other users on the platform, who chimed in with their own tales of oddly timed media consumption.
“I watched Conclave [a film about a papal election and its scandals] on a flight a week before Pope died. Your timeline is better!” replied @jeansbluefly.
Another user, @rachelkane555, noted: “The day before the heist, I read a book called The Heist in which a character had previously committed a heist in the Louvre.”
Meanwhile, @22missyb recalled: “Ditched school in 1979 to go see the film The China Syndrome only to walk outside and find out about the 3 Mile Island nuclear accident.”
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via Threads.
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