After rehearsals leading up to the spectacle ran a tad over the modest three and a half hours director Danny Boyle felt comfortable allotting, the esteemed filmmaker has been forced to cut a four-minute stunt bike showcase to make room for more important features.

Chief amongst these was a small petting zoo display featuring 12 horses, three cows, two goats, 10 chickens, nine geese, a flock of 70 sheep and three sheep dogs. At least according to the last count made while the opening ceremony props were loaded back onto the arc. 

 "This is like any other piece of film that you would make," Director of communications for the Games Jackie Brock-Doyle told Reuters. "Things end up on the cutting room floor.”

Although Brock-Doyle did admit that cutting “exciting stuff” was a difficult choice to make, she spent what appears to be a sizable part of her interview discussing traffic, late start times and the possibility of rain.

I suppose there’s something to be said for managing expectations.