Gorillaz For BBC

Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, the creators of the Gorillaz, will create the opening credits for the BBC’s coverage of this year’s Olympic Games in Beijing.

The animation and music will be based on the traditional Chinese novel Journey To The West. The credits see the characters Monkey, Pigsy and Sandy perform different Olympic sports as they travel to the Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing.

It’s hoped that the two-minute sequence, which will air in July, will attract younger viewers to the BBC. The Olympic Games will take place from August 8th-24th.

Albarn's full operatic adaptation of Journey To The West, which had its premier at the Manchester International Festival last summer, will make its London debut at the Royal Opera House.

Monkey: Journey to the West opens 23 July at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. For more information, visit www.monkeyjourneytothewest.com.

By Katie Weatherall