Lil Nas X raids Area 51 in new animated "Old Town Road" music video

More than a million people and counting have signed up for a Facebook event that is urging participants to storm Area 51, long believed by conspiracy theorists to be a holding site for extraterrestrial life. Among those interested in the September 20 event is country music star Lil Nas X, who released an animated music video of "Old Town Road" Tuesday depicting him and others raiding the top secret military base.

Inspired by the hype around the event, a new video directed by by Somehoodlum shows Lil Nas X, country star Billy Ray Cyrus, rapper Young Thug and YouTube star Mason Ramsey riding horses with people behind them to Area 51 and successfully evading armed forces. They eventually meet an alien before riding out in the sunset.  Keanu Reeves and Thanos also make a surprise appearance in the light-hearted video.

While responding to a fan's tweet to have Lil Nas X perform at the "Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us" event, the rising star also said he would perform at it for free.

What is going on with the Area 51 Raid?

The event, titled Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us, is widely believed to be a joke. The goal is to gather people and penetrate the Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada to "see them aliens." According to its Facebook page, 1.5 million people have said they will attend.

"We will all meet up at the Area 51 Alien Center tourist attraction and coordinate our entry," the Facebook event page reads. "If we naruto run, we can move faster than their bullets." "Naruto run" refers to protagonist Naruto Uzumaki's distinctive running style in the Japanese anime series "Naruto." The running style is leaning forward with arms draped behind the back that some believe makes them run faster.

The event page is filled with satirical strategic plans, including throwing pebbles, and hilarious memes poking fun at what would happen if they were successful. Other celebrities on Twitter also had something to say about the planned raid.

Despite the good-natured comments, U.S. Air Force spokesperson Laura M. McAndrews told CBS News Tuesday that it is aware of the post and called it "dangerous." 

"The Nevada Test and Training Range is an area where the Air Force tests and trains combat aircraft. As a matter of practice, we do not discuss specific security measures, but any attempt to illegally access military installations or military training areas is dangerous."

While it is unclear if anyone will actually show up to the restricted area, people are still flocking to the surrounding parts around Area 51. The New York Times spoke to a local inn co-owner in Rachel, Nevada, who has seen a spike in reservations around the date of the event, despite being hours from the meeting area in Amargosa Valley.

"They're pretty serious," Caroline West said. "They're coming. People are coming."

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• Lil Nas X
• Unidentified Flying Object
• Area 51