PARIS — It sounds like the plot of a Hollywood thriller — a group of skilled thieves targeting one of the most famous museums in the world, escaping in broad daylight with treasures worth over $100 million. But this time, it’s real.

Early Sunday morning, at around 9:30 a.m. local time, authorities believe three to four highly trained thieves broke into the Louvre Museum through an exterior balcony. They entered via a window — now boarded up — and, in just seven minutes, made off with nine priceless pieces of royal jewelry.

The stolen items reportedly include emerald and sapphire necklaces, a tiara containing 212 pearls and nearly 2,000 diamonds, and a crown worn by French royalty, which was later found damaged near the scene. French prosecutors estimate the total value of the missing jewels at $102 million.

Dutch art crime investigator Arthur Brand, often called the “Indiana Jones of the art world,” told reporters:

“We could say this is the heist of the decade. If you target the Louvre — the most important museum in the world — and get away with the French Crown Jewels, something went seriously wrong with security.”

A Scene Straight Out of Netflix’s Lupin

The brazen daylight theft immediately drew comparisons to Netflix’s hit series Lupin, which follows a charismatic thief who steals from the Louvre. Clips from the show flooded social media alongside the news, with fans joking that life was imitating art.

Some online users even compared the real-life heist to iconic movie capers such as Ocean’s 11 and The Thomas Crown Affair, while others recalled The Da Vinci Code, which famously features the Louvre’s glass pyramid.

“It’s slightly more complicated than the movies,” one investigator noted dryly. “But it’s easy to see why people are making the connection.”

Theories and Speculation

Authorities are investigating several leads, including the possibility that the thieves were commissioned by a private collector. However, experts say that theory is more fantasy than fact.

“That kind of scenario — a mysterious billionaire hiring thieves to steal masterpieces — only happens in movies,” Brand added.

The suspects reportedly fled on high-powered scooters and have yet to be found. Police believe they may already be attempting to move or hide the jewels, which are easily recognizable and nearly impossible to sell on the open market.

A Race Against Time

Christopher Marinello, founder of Art Recovery International, said the next few weeks are critical:

“Right now it’s a race between the police and the criminals — to see who can move faster, one to recover the jewels, the other to hide the evidence.”

While the theft is no laughing matter, social media users couldn’t resist turning it into entertainment — even casting their dream versions of the inevitable film adaptation, with some suggesting Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Kevin Hart as the leads.

For now, the real story unfolding in Paris is every bit as dramatic — and mysterious — as anything Hollywood could imagine.