Why Nicolas Cage’s ‘Snake Eyes’ is going viral after Charlie Kirk shooting
On September 10, 2025, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated during a speech at Utah Valley University. The incident has sparked conspiracy theories linking it to the 1998 film 'Snake Eyes', where a character named Charles Kirkland is killed, raising concerns about political violence.
A conspiracy theory claiming that the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk was foretold in a 1998 Nicolas Cage thriller has gained rapid traction online, with thousands of users drawing parallels between real-life events and the film ‘Snake Eyes’.
Charlie Kirk's Assassination Sparks Conspiracy Theories Tied to Nicolas Cage’s Snake Eyes
Kirk, 31, the co-founder and chief executive of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot on September 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University. The attack has shocked the nation and reignited concerns over rising political violence in the United States.
In ‘Snake Eyes’, a neo-noir thriller directed by Brian De Palma, Cage plays police detective Rick Santoro, who attends a high-profile boxing match on the night of September 19. Among the attendees is Defence Secretary Charles Kirkland, who is ultimately assassinated during the course of the film.
Internet Reacts to the Conspiracy Theory
Internet users have seized on the similarities between the names “Charles Kirkland” and “Charlie Kirk,” as well as between the fictional boxer “Lincoln Tyler” and Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of Kirk’s murder. Robinson has been charged with aggravated murder, firearm offences, obstruction of justice, and witness tampering.
One widely shared post claimed: “There are NO COINCIDENCES. In the 1998 film Snake Eyes, politician CHARLES KIRKLAND is shot in the neck on SEPTEMBER 10th. Charlie Kirk was shot in the neck in real life on September 10th. You just can’t make this stuff up (sic).”
Another viral comment questioned whether such parallels could be dismissed as coincidence, calling the theory “the assassination conspiracy blowing up the internet right now (sic).”
While many users insist the connections are uncanny, others argue that such theories risk trivialising both Kirk’s death and the broader threat of political violence.
The Assassination of Charlie Kirk
On September 10, 2025, American political activist Charlie Kirk was shot dead while speaking at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem, Utah. The gathering marked the opening stop of the American Comeback Tour, a lecture and debate series organised by Turning Point USA, the conservative group he co-founded.
Kirk was struck in the neck by a bullet while responding to a question from the audience on the issue of mass shootings in the United States. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors later confirmed his death.
According to investigators, the gunman had taken a position on the roof of a campus building roughly 142 yards (130 metres) from the stage.
The following day, 22-year-old Tyler James Robinson surrendered at the local sheriff’s office. He was formally charged with murder on September 16, with prosecutors announcing plans to pursue the death penalty, citing political motives behind the attack.