London isn’t the driest city in the world, to say the least. And although global excitement over the prospect of hosting the 2012 Olympic Games surely dulled after connecting those dots, speculation on the opening ceremonies may keep the city from emptying the clouds early like they did for Beijing four years ago.
And if the rain holds off, there may be an answer to that too.
SPOILER ALERT: Want to be surprised for Friday’s event? Now’s the time to close this page.
Renowned movie maker, Danny Boyle, has spearheaded the production of London’s Olympic Opening Ceremonies, set for July 27, with a theme that thrives on the weather that gives the city its reputation.
What he’s calling “Isles of Wonder,” inspired by Shakespeare’s The Tempest (News - Alert), the three-hour ceremony will feature a colorful landscape of real grass, soil and live animals – and rain – rendering a performance more natural, tangible, and reflective of the host country’s environment than most Olympics before it.
“The ceremony is an attempt to capture a picture of ourselves as a nation, where we have come from and where we want to be,” said Boyle.
That rain, however, might not be as easy as letting the typical clouds of London do their thing, as more recent weather reports expect Friday evening’s showers to be scattered, if present at all.
Suggested to have done the same for the movie, 127 Hours, Boyle is reportedly prepared to produce “fake rain” over the stadium to maintain the spirit of the event, if the skies do not do so themselves.
With little material on the technology, it isn’t clear how the British director will approach it, though existing initiatives in more arid regions of Dubai, which engage a series of electric landmarks that connect charged ions with water-based particles, are suggestive of what may be involved.
Whether precipitation comes from Mother Nature or Danny Boyle, spectators are no less encouraged to bring an umbrella.
This year’s U.S. Olympic Team boasts over 500 athletes from 44 of the 50 states. Opening ceremonies start Friday, July 27 at 4:00 p.m. EDT.