Danny Boyle plans 'epic and intimate' 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony

Oscar-winning British film director Danny Boyle, who will be overseeing the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics, has set out his vision for an “epic and intimate” launch event.

Boyle said that the ceremony would be “full of spectacle and marvel”, and would feature pop and rock music from Britain’s greatest musical acts.

The 53-year-old was announced as the artistic director of the opening ceremony last week, and will head up a creative team that also includes film-maker Stephen Daldry.

“Music has to play a big part in the ceremony. For such a small country, we have the most extraordinary tradition of music, and people look to Britain as a beacon of music,” The Telegraph quoted Boyle, as saying.

“It’s a big thing for young people, and the promise of the games was to bring sport and a sense of inspiration to young people. I hope one of the ways we’ll be able to do that is through music,” he added.

He further said that British films would also play a part in the opening ceremony, which will take place at the 80,000-capacity Olympic Stadium in Stratford, London, on July 27, 2012.

“You think maybe there should be some bits of British films in the ceremony, and there are some wonderful iconic British films that you could use - Chariots of Fire would be the most obvious one for obvious reasons, but just because Stephen and I are involved in film, I don’t think it should be a movie-themed thing,” Boyle said.