What do the Paris Olympics and Jurassic Park have in common?

The Paris 2024 Olympic official theme song was performed as the Olympic flame arrived in Marseilles Credit: AP / Everett Collection

By ITV News Producer Georgia Ziebart

Bed bugs, blockaded roads, and terrorism threats are just some of the issues already facing the Paris Olympics.

But the Games are now confronted with a new controversy - accusations its theme song has been plagiarised from the Jurassic Park theme.

The official theme tune, 'Parade', was played for the first time in public on Wednesday night. But some listeners said the tune by Victor Le Masne bore a striking resemblance to John Williams' 1993 score.

'Parade' was performed by the French National Orchestra at a televised ceremony to welcome the Olympic torch to Marseilles, having finished its journey from Greece.

"As soon as the first notes were heard [...] people quickly posted online that they had the feeling they had already heard the tune," wrote one French newspaper, Ouest-France, "for many, the music is heavily inspired by the iconic theme of Jurassic Park."

Listeners quickly took to social media, noting the resemblance to Williams' 'Welcome to Jurassic Park' - one of the most recognisable tunes from the 1993 blockbuster.

One X user said, "the Paris Olympic Games 2024 theme is a copy paste from Jurassic Park's John Williams."

"I can already imagine the arrival of the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony", one X user joked, alongside a screenshot from Jurassic Park.

Another said the Games had "decided to pay a guy a fortune to remix the music from Jurassic Park, and sell it to us as the official soundtrack."

"It's catchy," said one user, adding, "but probably because it's stolen from Jurassic Park."

Another X user said, "they're going to need a huge Olympic Park", alongside an AI image of dinosaurs competing in the Games.

Other users of the platform joked dinosaurs should be included in the games, with one suggesting a "velociraptor race on the Trocadero". Another asked whether a "T-rex or a velociraptor will carry the [Olympic] torch".

One X user said they wanted the torch bearer to enter the stadium dressed like a dinosaur, to match the theme tune

But the Olympics' organisers said Victor Le Masne had "written and composed a captivating official music theme, subtly combining symphonic and electronic sounds, embodying the dynamic and universal spirit of the Paris 2024 Games."

Le Masne has not responded to the comments, but had previously said that he hoped to "create an original soundtrack" that will "remain etched in the memories of all generations".

John Williams, who is also the composer behind the famous scores for films including Indiana Jones, ET and Schindler's List, is also yet to comment.