'Please do not touch the ostrich on set today' - Gemma on JR, Jake Gyllenhaal in action, PoP US premiere and a WDW interlude

Gemma Arterton was on the Jonathan Ross show on Friday night, giving UK TV audiences their first proper look at Jake Gyllenhaal as the Prince of Persia. At last! The trailer on a primetime TV programme, accompanied by some appreciative comments about Jake from the host himself. Here are two videos from Friday's show, which hopefully you can all see. Thanks to Monica for the heads up! Prince of Persia is also getting some attention from the British news network ITN.





Talking of videos... we have our first glimpse of Source Code in action! In this video, you can actually watch the fight sequence that we saw in still pictures the other day. And Jake is such a gentleman - he takes the time to help the guy to his feet after beating him up.



Some fun facts about Prince of Persia have been released and among them:

'Morocco offered 100+-degree Fahrenheit temps during production. Massive, air-conditioned tents were erected at the Lycee Hassan II school in Marrakesh. One, which was the size of a football field, housed wardrobe, hair and makeup for the film's background players. And adjoining tent was built just for washing and drying. It was a mind-blowing 124 degrees on the last day of Moroccan filming (Merzouga Sand Dunes outside of Erfoud). According to Morocco Facilities Manager Gregoire Mouveau, during filming in that country the "Prince of Persia" company consumed 1,114,894 bottles of water.'


'Typical warnings on call sheets in Morocco: 'PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH THE OSTRICH ON SET TODAY' or 'BEWARE – SNAKES & SCORPIONS CAN BE FOUND AT THIS LOCATION UNDER AND AROUND THE ROCKS. BE CAUTIOUS.'

'A local Moroccan was hired to clear the shooting areas in the desert of a vipers and scorpions. Donning a t-shirt emblazoned with "Snake Dude," he was easy to spot.'


'Some 20 different versions of the Dagger which holds the Sands of Time were fabricated for the film — from the "hero" version, made of steel, to latex versions, created for stunt sequences.'

'The moment in which Alfred Molina, as Sheikh Amar, kisses his favorite ostrich on the neck was completely unscripted. "I thought I would either get my eye poked out," notes Molina, "or that I would get away with a funny moment."'



'The exterior set of Alamut, designed by Wolf Kroeger, was constructed around the actual 700-year-old walls of the village of Tamesloht, 20 kilometers southwest of Marrakesh. It required 30 miles of scaffold tubing and 400 tons of plaster, with 350 members of the construction crew. The colorful frescoes and mural paintings which adorn the set were painted in seven weeks. The Alamut Eastern Gate set built at Pinewood Studios' "007 Stage," also designed by Wolf Kroeger, required 3,000 eight-by-four-foot sheets of wood, 70,000 feet of three-by-one inch timber, and 40 tons of casting plaster for moldings. It was constructed in a relatively brief 14 weeks.'


'The character who has the most wardrobe changes is not Tamina, played by the beautiful Gemma Arterton, but Nizam, portrayed by Sir Ben Kingsley.'


You can read more fun facts at Filmgecko. Am I the only one to find a tear in my eye at the thought of the tender relationship between Alfred Molina and his favourite ostrich?


As you can see from the poster below, the US premiere of Prince of Persia now has a time and a place.


A WDW interlude

Good morning to you all! Time to go out and sweep my own share of Icelandic volcano off my car and head out into another beautiful warm, sunny day. Yesterday was the Oxford Folk Festival and Ruby and I took advantage of the sunrays to see more Morris Dancers than anyone should be allowed to see on one day (if I hear any more bells...) before taking a look around some of Oxford's beautiful college gardens.



My Flip got a test ahead of any potential events that may be coming up in May...



We even spotted an ostrich? What on earth is that?


Pictures from links, Disney via IHJ, and Ruby and WDW.