“Keep deleting my comments about laser cats Slashfilm. Keep deleting ‘em.”
Can I just say that I could not stomach the marketing for another movie, let alone a trilogy’s worth, where Orlando Bloom massages a meticulously groomed goatee while having a sword fight? Gracias. Thankfully, Latino Review reports via numerous anonymous sources that an offer has gone out to Jake Gyllenhaal for the lead in Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer’s summer 2009 golden egg Prince of Persia: Sands of Time. Their tip arrives as yesterday’s rumor that Bloom had signed a $40 million deal to star in the franchise was dismissed by Slashfilm’s brothers from another Film School Rejects.
The entire Bloom rumor seemed so out of whack that we held out reporting it, especially since it pegged Jerry Bruckheimer to direct instead of produce. Director Mike Newell (Donnie Brasco, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) has been attached for quite a while, and it seems nothing has changed.
Gyllenhaal’s peers all have franchises in the can or on the way, and while he’s not the obvious choice for the adventure video game adaptation (who remems playing it on Turbo Duo?), he definitely adds legitimacy like Depp did for POTC. Latino Review goes on to parlay Hollywood jogging encounters with Mr. Gyllenhaal and points out that he currently has a bum ankle from basketball. Point being: Can Jake’s lil’ ankle heal in time?!?! Hahah. More on this as it develops…
Discuss: A goatee’d Gyllenhaal fighting a mystical sand storm for three films: could Prince of Persia be the next POTC?
April 8th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Don’t see it at all. I like Gyllenhall, but this seems like a round peg in a square hole.
April 8th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
@ AP
Please no! Not that analogy with this actor.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
I don’t think he could be that bad but I would really have rather had someone…and I don’t want to sound racist but, European in the role. someone from around that area.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
This would not be a wise career movie for him.
April 8th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
I suppose it’s too much to expect an actual arab actor for the role of the prince.
April 8th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Sorry, Iranian not Arab.
April 8th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
I don’t know about Jake but being a gamer I can see potential and I’m, at least, a little excited.
April 8th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
Ol’ Stoneface? Watching him try to ape Depp should be a laugh riot.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
haha, i just wish they would try and pull it off, and question why it flops!
April 8th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
WTF at Ol’ Stoneface? Jake G. is a great actor and it would be interesting. Don’t know if it will happen but he can make it work if it does.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
I started to like Gyllenhall for his movie ‘October Sky’: dealstudio.com/searchdeals.php?deal_id=95735&ru=279 , The movie is wonderful in many ways. Especially for Gyllenhall’s great performance. So I think Gyllenhall will bring a fantastic role that we looking forward to in the upcoming movie.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
I’m with Tabor, why can’t we get an actor with the correct nationality? this could be the next POTC, but it could also be the next Mummy…
I’m more excited about The Lone Ranger franchise rumours, mix a western with a little supernatural, and THAT could be the next POTC - everything the Stephen King/JJ Abrams ‘The Dark Tower’ should be, but sadly, probably won’t.
April 8th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
what about Naveen Andrews? (thats sayid from lost). he could play a good prince, although i could imagine jake as the prince.
i do hope that they try and give the movie some depth and other wise good writing and not gay it up (which is proly garentueed because its disney)
April 8th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
I enjoyed playing the video games of this series, but I absolutely will not watch a film adaptation if Gyllenhaal is playing the Prince. There’s no way anyone can convince me that he’s athletic enough to free-run off walls and be an action star. They should just get Sebastien Foucan (the co-founder of FreeRunning, and the dude Bond chases in Casino Royale) to play the Prince and be done with it.
April 8th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
I tell ya man, it never ceases to amaze me how, and how much you guys hear about the movie biz. Nice post.
April 8th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
Gyllenhall doesn’t need that a movie like that
April 8th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
@ Kode
I second that he “doesn’t need that a movie like that”
April 8th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
i love Jake, but i don’t see him playing this role. Naveen Andrews would probably be a better choise
April 9th, 2008 at 4:09 am
jakey not athletic enough to jump and slash shit? you’re wack, he’s the only one of his peers who actually works out.
man, that torso…
but sure, he’s a bit too serious of an actor. i can see him in zodiac and darko but not a bruckheimer flick. can’t see it tank though.
April 9th, 2008 at 6:06 am
Thank you, diesel, I second that. Whoever says Jake isn’t athletic enough obviously knows nothing about him. That said, I don’t really want to see him in an action franchise, especially not a Disney franchise, and in particular not a Bruckheimer/Disney franchise. I liked the first PotC well enough, and I liked both of the National Treasure flicks, but those things are…cotton candy. Jake’s a prime rib actor and I’d hate to see his talent sublimated by a box office greed machine that reduced him to forever be known as some fictional Disney doofus.
Besides, I agree that if the nationality of the character is inherent to the story (and since it’s part of the title, well, duh), there’s no reason why a decent Eastern actor can’t do the job quite well.
April 9th, 2008 at 8:27 am
He’s a good actor and all but he seems wrong for the part. I don’t know if he’ll have the intensity for it. I’d like to someone less known. Orlando Bloom and Effron are terrible options.
April 9th, 2008 at 9:36 am
He’s also an A-list actor with a track record that shows he’s not a complete idiot about what films to sign on to. George Clooney did Batman and Robin and he’s still considered a great actor. Not saying this will be B&R but I think we should trust Jake to run his own life. If he’s signing on, it says to me this film has great potential.
April 9th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
naveen andrews is too old, but it is disappointing that they are avoiding someone who could convincingly pass for iranian…but jerry bruckheimer does star vehicles, right? when was the last time he produced a movie where the lead was a newly discovered talent?
April 9th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Sounds cool!
April 9th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Personally i’d rather see someone like David Belle tackle this role. However, we’re gonna get another boring action flick with too much CG.
eh.
April 10th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Who knows it could be really cool with Jake G. He is a great actor and has the right build, etc. even if he isn’t Persian, he has an ethnic look that could work.
April 11th, 2008 at 8:38 am
This sucks. That character needs be played by somebody else, somebody that can pull off being bad a$$, not someone who has a baby face. He will also need a voice transplant to pull it off.
May 24th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
Jake Gyllenhaal has been cast as the Prince of Persia. And Gemma Arteton is playing the Indian princess. WTF?
This guy is NOT the prince of persia Go here to see the one who SHOULD be…his name is Hrithik Roshan and looks more like the true prince…
http://www.housefull.in/wallpapers/hrithik-roshan/hrithik_roshan-1.jpg
OR JOHN ABRAHAM who has strong Persian roots and looks like the perfect prince! almost a duplicate of him.
http://www.gpsinfoway.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/bollywood/john-abraham/john-abraham-05.thumbnail.jpg
And this should have been Tahmina…she looks way more like Farah: http://www.parinda.com/files/storyimages/Bipasha_Basu_no_entry.jpg
Why is Hollywood so stupid and racist? They always have actual Persians or Arabs play terrorists, but when it comes to the hero or good guy, they only let famous brand namers play it. Look at how they portrayed Persians in 300. I just threw up a little in my mouth at the thought of Jake Gyllenhall playing a Persian Prince and Averton play a wannabe exotic princess….she doesn’t look exotic at ALL.
And hey if you don’t agree with this choice go to this website and sign this petition :
http://www.petitiononline.com/popfilm/petition.html
Please sign before July!