Jake Gyllenhaal - Prince of Persia

It seems like barely a week goes by without Jake being linked to yet another superhero role - whether in jest or in earnest - or in that hazy world in between. This week is no different, although, to be fair, this isn't a superhero role so much as a role straight out of a videogame, literally.

Jerry Bruckheimer, the man responsible for the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, is next turning his attention to the Prince of Persia, which is also to shown in three films and produced by Disney. Bruckheimer has a director - Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) - and now he's looking out for an actor who will do full justice to the flowing white shirt (actually the shirt is optional), leather boots and sword fighting shenanigans of the Prince of Persia. Orlando Bloom was first linked but that has been dismissed (Disney: “There is absolutely no truth to this rumor”). The latest candidate is none other than Jake Gyllenhaal.


As one commentator says: '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.'

Should this turn out to be true - and the film is due to be released barely a year from now (June 2009) so we should know pretty soon - then Jake will have his own franchise and it's a swashbuckler. Here is the plot of the first film (The Sands of Time) according to IMDb: 'Set in medieval Persia, the story of an adventurous prince who teams up with a rival princess to stop an angry ruler from unleashing a sandstorm that could destroy the world. Which is why after the prince was tricked by a dying Vizier to unleash the Sands of Time that turns out to destroy a kingdom and transforms its populace into ferocious demons. In his effort to save his own kingdom and redeem his fatal mistake, it's up to the prince and the princess to return the sands to the hourglass by using the Dagger of Time, which also gives him a limited control over the flow of time.'


According to someone who has seen a version of the script: 'Parkour is finally going to be given a worldwide audience with Prince of Persia. Because of the incredible athleticism and shape you have to be in to practice Parkour, I would think that narrows down the choices to play Prince of Persia’s lead character... One of the producers said in the trades that Prince of Persia is a 9th century Indiana Jones and it reads and feels like one.' [Parkour is 'a physical art of French origin, the aim of which is to move from point A to point B as efficiently and quickly as possible, using principally the abilities of the human body. It is meant to help one overcome obstacles, which can be anything in the surrounding environment — from branches and rocks to rails and concrete walls.'] A good job indeed that Jake's ankle appears to be on the mend!


We are advised to keep an eye on Jerry Bruckheimer's own website.

As someone who has always fantasised about the whole idea of Jake being cast as an Indiana Jones (20th century or 9th century), a big part of me hopes this is true and we get to see Jake saving the world and its princesses while leaping, romping and battling his way through exotic deserts, mysterious cities and luxurious tents in opulent oases. Of course, another part of me thinks is this just another joke, or, if it's true, how good a script can this have? I can't help musing over who would be a great baddie to play opposite Jake. I must admit, however, to having enjoyed playing this particular game for years, although my Prince usually falls into a spiked pit after only three levels - I trust that in the movies Jake would fare better. We've already seen how good Jake is in deserts.


Includes pictures from IHJ and here.