Tuesday, 22 June 2010

Prince of Persia crowned King of video game movies and Jake Gyllenhaal on entering that world of fun

This week, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time becomes the highest grossing video game movie in the history of video game movies. It has now gathered almost $300 million at box offices across the world. Film commentators, largely in the US, dismissed the film as a flop with quite indecent haste, revelling, perhaps, in their prejudgement that video game movies don't attract audiences. But to call Prince of Persia a 'flop' is to ignore moviegoers across the world who have turned out week after week and have raved about this handsome Jake Gyllenhaal who now, as a result, is much better known across the globe than he was just a month ago. And you can just bet that Jake's movies - past and present - have won whole new audiences.


I have always been a fan of Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft but I am so thrilled that Jake as Prince Dastan has taken a step ahead. Congratulations to everyone concerned with Prince of Persia.

I wanted to requote Jake from one of my favourite interviews that he gave during PoP May: 'I don't think I wanted to be a kid then. And now I do. I think that's primarily the reason for doing this.' 'I just try to do the movies that I love to watch... In this movie we're wearing these big belts and I was thinking of "Star Wars." I was wearing a suit that made me think of "Aladdin." Those are the things that touch the kid in you.'


All of us, I'm sure, have much-loved movies from our childhood that when we're older we still look back on and grin when they come on the TV. Jake has had the chance to put himself in such a film and play out those childhood fantasies. My favourites as a child were Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Raiders of the Lost Arc, Logan's Run and Jaws. Two of them I would have loved to have been in - the other two, maybe not...


We hear more in this interview about what attracted Jake to the PoP world: 'The sheer scope of it, the size of it, when I first read the script I thought I’d never been involved in such a big project and I wanted to know can it be pulled off? For me, selfishly, creating an iconic character that could be fun and funny and have a great time just seemed like a huge challenge. That for me is what I really wanted to do and it was set in such an interesting world. For me, the movies I love are those that are in sort of other worlds, where you have the capability to do almost anything but stay a human being but still be a human being. It goes beyond that level of a normal human being, but just beyond that, and that’s what makes Prince of Persia great.'


'I think what I’ve read is that most stuntmen and coordinators want the actor to do it and enjoy when the actor does it. That’s what makes the process so much fun when you get into that world. It’s all the stunts that makes these movies what they are, so why not be involved?'

A note to Megan Fox following her comments - Jake Gyllenhaal can play with our expectations of his roles and films because he can act. It doesn't mean just anyone can do it.


And finally...

Before it disappears again, here is a repeat of the Snickers fan video from the LA premiere of Prince of Persia. I advise you to watch it quickly!



Includes pictures from IHJ.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't think that making almost $300 million dollars on a movie constitutes a flop. Don't they care about the foreign market? I think they should. I think there are reasons why it didn't do better here in the US, and I think marketing was one of them. May is sweeps month on TV, meaning that it's one of those months where ratings are carefully looked at for TV shows. It's also a month where many shows are doing their finales. ABC (which is owned by Disney) didn't take advantage of the built in audiences who were watching the finale of Desperate Housewives and Brother and Sisters and many other shows and broadcast the ads for POP. I expected to see something at the end of April. I didn't. I figured,'okay they have to show it during the finales' nope. I only saw it during the finale of Lost which was shown the week OF POP's premiere that Fri. It was shown on the Disney Channel, my friend's daughter was watching that and that is where I saw it. Why didn't Disney saturate the market during a time when the TV audiences would be high I will never.

all in all I think POP got short-changed in the marketing dept in the US

sweetpea

winterbird said...

Great news about PoP box-office. Looking back now, maybe the marketing was deliberately targeting international markets. The world premiere is outside US, the cast spent a great deal of time in foreign countries promoting as well.

Or maybe it's just Jake's destiny? :P Donnie Darko wasn't a hit in US either, until it reached across the pond.

Wet Dark and Wild said...

Hi Sweetpea - I totally agree about the marketing in the US. These were good opportunities. Fortunately, audiences further afield went in their droves and the word of mouth for PoP has been amazing!

It is great news, Winterbird! The World premiere in London was such a big affair, broadcast to all these nations around the world. The US event was part of the Jerry Bruckheimer ceremony, so I do think the film has been marketed as an international release, which is good, because maybe that's the markeet for it?

Oh yes, Donnie Darko! Such a loved and much talked over movie here :D

Anonymous said...

That Pop Candies video is great, Jake's fans love him too. :)

Wet Dark and Wild said...

They really do, 21:22! I love that video :D

Ruby said...

That first picture in your post is absolutely gorgeous. I could look at it all evening, but drooling is so unseemly in a woman my age, so I'd best not. ;-)

Ummm, nice banner. :D I tried to comment on the new look a couple of days ago after I first saw it on a proper sized screen (since I could only see it on my iPhone when you first put it up), but I think I must have neglected to do something important like click the 'publish' button, or I did something stupid like close the window, as my comment just vanished!

It's so clean and clear and classy and the photos suddenly seem brighter and Jake seems even more gorgeous and more talented and taller :D And it's made the sun shine. Definitely a good look. :D:D
Well done to you and your design consultant.

Wet Dark and Wild said...

That comment, Ms Rubes, is going to be stitched on a pillow and then I'm going to frame that pillow because it has to be one of the best comments ever. Your standards are high and to say that now Jake seems taller, more gorgeous, and the sun is shining, well, that's made more than my day. When I see you next, you're getting a bright red ruby drink *) I'm very glad you hit publish this time :D

Wet Dark and Wild said...

I thought I'd try a new look :D

Uli said...

Oh, who cares what is seemly or unseemly for a woman our age, Ruby! I'll drool with you! :D :D
Hey, I am so glad I got to watch the Snickers video this time! It is so good to see once more how great Jake is with the fans! It seems he has a genuine smile for everybody despite all the frenzy.
And thanks for the good news about PoP achieving the title of video game movie with the highest box office - and there is more to come - despite all those people who were so fast to call it a flop!

Uli said...

Damn, I forgot one very important part of my comment since I am working on a very small device and I was glad that I got typed it all in... :D What a great and perfectly fitting for your new look banner you've got!!

Wet Dark and Wild said...

I'm drooling too! Hi Uli! It's a great video. I'm glad it's back up for the time being. Just look at how Jake gives out his time! Love that.

I'm so glad you like the banner. Also looking at WDW for the first time with the new look on my iTouch I was so pleased with how fast it loaded!

Ruby said...

I like your new look WDW. I may stare at you in a rather rude fashion quite a lot.

Hi Uli! xx

Wet Dark and Wild said...

Stare away Ruby and as rudely as you like!

Gallardo said...

Thanks for your video, but now I want have a photo with him and his sign :((

TD said...

God he's just too cute!

When I heard PoP audience 'take' had shot up by 132% last wkend, I thought maybe the mothers had got rid of the kids/hubbies/passing-strangers-in-need and had finally got to see it (further evidence of poor marketing IMHO: only self absorbed boys can get to the cinema in the first week) (well, and fangirls too ;-). But now I've cynically revised my opinion and decided it was 'cos he was photographed checking out that girl at the Lakers game, so American guys decided he was less scary than they thought.

Huh !
TD

PS IMHO ;)

Wet Dark and Wild said...

Morning! Another beautiful day - and a half day for me due to the footie.

I hope one day, Gallardo, you can have just that :)

Morning TD! If any film shows that word of mouth works it's PoP and also just look at Jake right now! Who wouldn't want to see such a fun movie with Jake in it? And I wouldn't be surprised if you're right and those pics did indeed put some bums on seats!

Have a great day everyone! I loved openeing up WDW this morning and seeing that first picture again...

LadyEkster said...

'...this handsome Jake Gyllenhaal who now, as a result, is much better known across the globe than he was just a month ago. And you can just bet that Jake's movies - past and present - have won whole new audiences.'

So. True. Period. ;-)

I am the living proof of that statement, and not just me. I know a bunch of people around the globe who, just like me, got to know about Jake because of PoP and have grown into loving him for his talent and choice of movies in just a matter of days. And I can say that a teeny tiny but lovely spot on the world wibe web called WDW has contributed a lot to our new obsession. ;-)

Wet Dark and Wild said...

That is so cool, Lady Ekster! I'm so glad to hear that it's PoP that made you a fan. It doesn't take long to fall for him and he's hard to shake off! I do hope you enjoy watching Jake's earlier films :) And it is great to have both old and new fans here! And thanks :)

LadyEkster said...

You're welcome. :-)
I do enjoy Jake's earlier movies a lot - I enjoy them thoroughly, as Dastan would probably put it. ;-) I'm going through his entire IMDB list these weeks. *big grin* I love, love, love Jarhead and Bubble Boy!! And Brokeback Mountain... don't even get me started on how beautiful I find that one.

Wet Dark and Wild said...

Lady Ekster - that is great! Some wonderful films to enjoy. Have you seen October Sky yet? Melts my heart that one. My favourite film, not necessarily because of Jake in it but because I adore the whole film, is Zodiac. But yeah, Brokeback :) BBM changed many of our lives and so you'll find a whole bunch of Brokies here. I've done lots of posts here on Brokeback over the years and I hope you find something in them to interest you :) And then there's DDarko... and TADT! The film I've watched more than any other although I think that will now be replaced with grown up Prince of Persia Jake!

LadyEkster said...

Good morning. October Sky and Highway are the next ones on my list, yes. :-) Those are the only ones I have left to see, that is, until I find the courage to watch Zodiac and Donnie Darko. I'm really not into anything that comes close to scary. :-|

Hahaha, I like that term 'Brokies'. I am actually going through your entire archive bit by bit. I wish uni would be finished already, then I could devote some entire days to this site and catch up on all the goodies here. ;-)