Viewers of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony found themselves longing for a return to the London 2012 event as they reminised about “genius” Danny Boyle’s spectacular show. The acclaimed movie director oversaw events for the opening and closing ceremonies that year and created a powerful production that has gone down in Olympic history.
Tonight’s offering from the French was dubbed “the worst in history” and also proved a washout as persistant rain led to a lack of enthusiasm from the damp crowds who had turned out to watch. Disapppointed fans took to X to compare it to Danny’s “wonderful and memorable” production.
@nicopappo speculated: “Danny Boyle must be feeling very smug. This OC has looked patchy, disjointed and not very entertaining. 2012 was wonderful and memorable. #OpeningCeremony.”
@BORO_1971 agreed writing: “UK set and still is the benchmark for an opening ceremony. Much credit to Danny Boyle who smashed it out of the park.”
@McGeeMatthew reminised: “The Olympic Rings, forged from the flames of the Industrial Revolution, hanging over the stadium, was a marvellous sight, and the choice of a group of teenagers to light the flame was inspired. Danny Boyle is a genius.”
@SimonHemelryk opined: “This is a very long reminder of the brilliance of Danny Boyle. #OpeningCeremony.”
@NotFarLeftAtAll stated:” I’m sorry … but no other country will ever do the opening of the Olympics as good as the British done in 2012 James Bond and the Queen #OpeningCeremony.”
Meanwhile @shcunliffe quipped: “It’s in-Seine how this is rumoured to have cost four times more than Danny Boyle’s London 2012 masterpiece. #OpeningCeremony.”
The 2012 opening was a celebration of British cluture and history featuring everythig from the Industrial Revolution to pop music to the invention of the internet.
However for many the highlight was the late Queen Elizabeth appearing in a sketch with Daniel Craig in character as James Bond’
To the delight of viewers the secret agent escorted the Queen from Buckingham Palace before parachuting into the Olympic Stadium alongside Her Majesty. Of course, the second part of the Queen’s cameo was played by a stuntman in a wig.
According to royal dresser Angela Kelly’s 2019 book ‘The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe’, director Danny Boyle first pitched the idea to her and the Queen’s deputy private secretary at the time, Edward Young.
Ms Kelly said: “I asked him and Edward to give me five minutes so that I could ask the Queen. I remember the look of shock on Danny’s face that I would be asking Her Majesty straight away, but there’s no point in waiting around with these things: if she said no, that would be the end of it.
“I ran upstairs and luckily the Queen was free.” Ms Kelly claimed the Queen was “very amused” by the idea but insisted upon a speaking role.
