Prime Video has announced production of its first Franco-Italian original film "Masterplan," featuring a fictional heist targeting the world-famous Mona Lisa at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The streaming platform's announcement comes just days after the museum's recent security concerns, with Stanley Tucci set to star alongside Simona Tabasco and Victor Belmondo in this elaborate caper film.
The plot centers on a legendary thief who sets his sights on Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece and recruits two young unknowns to assist him: a cybersecurity expert and an explosives specialist. This fictional scenario eerily mirrors real-world concerns about museum security, particularly in light of recent events at the Louvre that have highlighted vulnerabilities in the institution's protection systems.
The timing of the announcement has raised eyebrows, coming shortly after visitors expressed relief at the Louvre's reopening, with some stating, "Fortunately, they didn't steal the Mona Lisa!" The coincidence has not gone unnoticed by museum officials, who have previously expressed concerns about film productions that might inadvertently provide blueprints for actual criminal activities.
This isn't the first time filmmakers have faced resistance when proposing heist scenarios at the Louvre. The production team behind the TF1 series "Cat's Eyes" encountered similar challenges when they approached the museum about filming a theft storyline. "Telling a heist story immediately made them tense," revealed Benjamin Dupont-Jubien, producer at Big Band Story, the company behind "Cat's Eyes."
In that series' sixth episode, three sisters - Tamara (Camille Lou), Sylia (Constance Labbé), and Alexia Chamade (Claire Romain) - attempt to steal a painting from their late father's collection housed at the Louvre. The production team had to navigate careful negotiations with museum officials who were understandably cautious about any content that might serve as instructional material for potential criminals.
"The initial versions of the script made discussions tense," Dupont-Jubien explained. "They rightfully considered that they weren't there to provide instruction manuals or give ideas to people wanting to rob the Louvre. It's not necessarily a subject that amuses them."
To address these concerns, the "Cat's Eyes" production developed an ingenious solution: making the burglars' route completely unrealistic. When Camille Lou's character conducts reconnaissance before her fictional crime, she begins at the glass canopies of the Marly and Puget courtyards, which house masterpieces of French sculpture, only to return to the same location later. In the show, she appears to traverse the entire museum, but in reality, she's merely moving in circles within the Richelieu Wing.
The character then miraculously appears on the ground floor in an expertise laboratory, as indicated by visible signage in the set design. "It's impossible to establish a circulation route from the series," the producer noted, emphasizing how the deliberately confusing geography serves as a security measure.
Beyond the scriptural safeguards, productions filming at the Louvre must also implement physical security measures. A dedicated security team monitors technicians, extras, and actors throughout the filming process, ensuring that no unauthorized individuals gain access to sensitive areas or information about the museum's actual security protocols.
The Louvre's cautious approach to fictional heist productions reflects broader concerns in the museum world about the potential influence of popular culture on criminal behavior. The institution has seen numerous fictional works fantasize about "the heist of the century," from classic tales like "Lupin" to "Belphégor," which is set to receive a new adaptation in 2026 on HBO Max in collaboration with M6.
Recent real-world events have underscored these concerns. The theft involved priceless jewelry from the French heritage collection, including sapphires from Sri Lanka, diamonds, gold pieces belonging to Queen Marie-Amélie, and Empress Eugénie's diadem. The sophisticated criminals used a freight elevator to access the Apollo Gallery, employing methods that could indeed be described as worthy of a fictional thriller.
The incident has led to increased scrutiny of the museum's security measures, with Director Laurence des Cars acknowledging shortcomings during her testimony before senators. This has made museum officials even more vigilant about any content that might inadvertently compromise security or inspire criminal activity.
As "Masterplan" moves into production, it will likely face similar constraints and negotiations with the Louvre administration. The film's producers will need to balance their desire for authenticity and dramatic tension with the museum's legitimate security concerns, potentially employing similar misdirection techniques used in previous productions to ensure their fictional heist cannot serve as a real-world guide for criminal activities.
