London Wants SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE Director Danny Boyle to Helm the 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony

China earned raves for the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics as assembled by director Zhang Yimou (Hero).  So when London nabbed the 2012 games, it makes sense they would recruit a homegrown filmmaker privy to international acclaim, Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle, for the same task.

Nothing is finalized yet, but the folks in human resources think Boyle is just the man to direct the kickoff event for a live audience of 80,000 and an international television audience of, you know, billions.  More after the jump:

The UK paper The Times quotes one source involved in the planning stages,

“Nothing has been signed yet, but we do fully expect him to do it… I can’t say any more.  It would be lovely, wouldn’t it?”

It would be lovely, inside source.  I don’t know how the raw kinetic energy of Boyle’s camera might translate to a live event, but I can’t imagine it would be dull.

The Mancunian director will next tackle 127 Hours, the tale of mountain climber Aron Ralston, who cut off his own arm with a dull knife when it was trapped under a boulder during a Utah climb.  The narrative structure of such an isolated story is sure to be interesting.  Per Mr. Boyle:

“There is dialogue at the beginning, and at the end, obviously, but for most of the film he doesn’t have anyone to talk to. But what came to light is that he had a video camera with him, and he recorded six or seven messages, for those he thinks are going to grieve for him, basically saying goodbye. We’ve seen the messages, he doesn’t tend to show them. … So if you like, that is the dialogue, with a future he thinks he is not going to have.”

James Franco will star as Ralston, with a supporting cast of Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn, and Lizzy Caplan.