As had been rumored, Oscar-winner Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later…, Trainspotting) has been tapped as artistic director of the opening ceremony for the 2012 summer Olympics in London. ”You have got to acknowledge that it is not going to be like Beijing in terms of this overwhelming, intimidating scale,” Boyle told reporters. ”It will be more modest than that. But our job is to make sure that within those means it is spectacular and delivers a thrilling welcoming to the opening of the Games.” He also added, “zombies would not be running around on stage.” (For that quip, we dub him Honorary Olympic Stud of the Day.)

Keeping in mind that Billy Elliot director Stephen Daldry is among the executive producers of the opening and closing ceremonies (the person helming the latter will be announced by the end of the year), and Doyle has said that he plans on incorporating “our idiosyncracies as a nation,” what — and who — would you like to see welcoming the world’s athletes to Britain? You might recall that Leona Lewis, Jimmy Page, David Beckham, and some light-up umbrellas on a bus were involved in the handover at Beijing’s closing ceremony. He won’t be tied to that. I think you’ve got to celebrate the Brits’ love of pop with a medley of artists popular from the ’50s (the last time London hosted an Olympics was 1948) through today. And that line-up must include Duran Duran. What? They could do an ’80 hit, then “(Reach Up for The) Sunrise.” (The lyrics are inspiring, and 80,000 people raising their hands for the chorus = good TV.)

by Mandi Bierly
Courtesy Popwatch/Entertainment Weekly