Ian Gavan/Getty ImagesCows, horses and sheep, oh my!
Yep. Thanks to director Danny Boyle, the opening ceremony for the 2012 Olympics is going to feature way more than just athletes.
The Oscar-winning filmmaker, who is serving as the artistic director for the big opening, explained during a press conference on Tuesday that he plans to turn London's Olympic Stadium into a "green and pleasant land" that will include a wide array of animals. (The phrase comes from the much-loved patriotic hymn "Jerusalem," based on a William Blake poem, which is practically regarded as England's national anthem.)
"It's a real meadow with real grass and real animals and it's actually something that we're very proud of," Boyle told reporters while standing by a model of the opening set.
The man behind Slumdog Millionaire went on to reveal that the ceremony would also include a game of village cricket as well as a giant replica of Glastonbury Tor in southwest England, with spectators filling up a mosh pit to reflect the Glastonbury music festival.
The four nations of the United Kingdom will also be represented by way of their emblem flowers—the rose for England, thistle for Scotland, flax for Northern Ireland and daffodil for Wales. Each will top four huge maypoles that children will dance around.
"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," Boyle said.
As for music, despite rumors that Leona Lewis would be performing, a rep for the singer tells E! News that is simply not true. However, electronica band Underworld has already recorded two songs that will serve as the soundtrack as the athletes make their way into the stadium.