I think that this post should be written by a couple of WDW's NE Americas readers because it includes mention of 'ice hockey' - a sport I know even less about than I do about tadpole racing. Neverthless, I shall persevere. Last night Jake Gyllenhaal was seen by a bunch of excited tweeters in Montreal watching the Cabs Caps versus the Habs. I do learn one thing from this - only teams that rhyme almost rhyme play against one another. Thanks to ET Canada, we also have a picture of what must have been a good moment (when the puck soared through the air before landing in the hoop).
It has been mentioned to me today by a friend who looked at this picture that Duncan Jones may have been tampering with Jake's ears. Surely not!
We have some intriguing possible news today in a throw away comment from The Playlist. They discuss a project set to film this summer in London and Iceland called Jack the Giant Killer and they drop this little teaser (in parentheses no less!): 'we've also heard that Jake Gyllenhaal may somehow be involved in the cast, file that one for later.'
So, not only may we see Jake in a 3D movie, we may also see him as a very large 3D giant! Or, I suppose, as a not very large 3d non-giant. One to watch certainly and hopefully The Playlist will give us more information out of brackets soon. If Jake's gonna be a giant this summer, we need to know about it.
This post is illustrated with some images of Prince Jake Dastan Gyllenhaal from a new Disney featurette for Prince of Persia which contains much that we've seen before but it's now set to Alanis Morisette's PoP theme. It's lovely to look at and listen to - even the non-shirt moments.
We've had Volcano Issues - while this did at least have the benefit of removing much of the pre-election shenanigans from the news, it has had the downside of disrupting the UK's entertainment schedules, including the Iron Man 2 premiere and something involving somebody called Miley something. The Prince of Persia London world premiere on 9 May may have been the next casualty to The Ash Cloud and it has indeed been removed from some listings. Grabbing the Mouse by the Ears, I asked Disney UK today if the premiere was going ahead as planned and they replied: 'I'll have news for you next week!' What one assumes from this is that they're watching over the weekend to see if the skies remain open and then they will confirm. And then Jake's appearance on the Jonathan Ross show on the 7 May can also be confirmed. If not, there will be words...
It may not have escaped your attention but Jake Gyllenhaal looks a tad hot and sexy and buffed in Prince of Persia (not just Prince of Persia either but that is the current hot potato Jake movie). Should it not be sufficient for you simply to watch and enjoy Jake's incredible athletic body leaping, twisting and contorting itself into all kinds of baddie-escaping and sword- and snake-dodging manouevres, you too can get the look. Unfortunately, it will take a lot more than a bit of leather strapping, some attractive scarves and a big black horse, as can be seen in the current Mens Fitness magazine. In this, Jake's trainer Simon Waterson tells us a bit about what Jake did to look like this:
'Get warrior abs: ‘We did a lot of core work to build the stability Jake needed to wield a sword,’ explains Waterson. ‘This involved a high number of reps to help build muscular strength and endurance.’ [And in the article, you can see some of the reps to try out at home]
'Eat like a Prince: 'Eating little and often is the key to building muscle and staying lean,’ says Waterson. ‘Jake ate very healthily and didn’t have the fast-food mentality. We gave him lots of salads, vegetables and lean meat to keep his blood sugar levels stable throughout the day. A good formula for building muscle is to eat around 2g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight, and drink lots of water throughout the day.’'
'4.45am Pre-workout snack: Espresso and banana
7am Post-workout breakfast: Egg white omelette on rye bread
9am Early morning snack: Protein shake
11am Mid-morning snack: Apple or banana and handful of almonds and raisins
1pm Lunch: Two chicken breasts with a huge salad of avocado, broccoli and other dark green leaves and veg
3pm Mid-afternoon snack: Protein shake
7pm Dinner: Steak with steamed veg or grilled chicken with couscous'
While I note with pleasure that no artichokes feature in this 'menu', I can see a little that my diet does differ. Apart from the espresso at 4.45 am which, if you have to be awake at that time in the morning, sounds like a necessity rather than an option. My diet, which will give you the physique of an office dweller in no time at all, is based on the rule of eating a lot and often. I have also replaced the nibbling on nuts and raisins with chomping on jaffa cakes. For the evenings, a pint of real ale is a good substitute for a protein shake. As a veggie, I have subtley tweaked the chicken breast and salad lunch into a veggieburger and chips. In no time at all you'll see the results.
Long, long, long ago, Simon talked to us a little more about Jake's training and eating regime. You can read more about that here.
ET clearly approve of Jake's Prince of Persia regime because today they have charted his decade of hotness. Jake's transformation is documented in this post with some fabulous new stills and set shots from Disney - via with many, many thanks IHJ.
And finally...
Completely accidentally no doubt... the release of the film in May is coinciding with the development of a new Prince of Persia game for the iPhone and iTouch. We got our first look today at something I must and will have. My PoP submersion continues...
We have a new Prince of Persia poster and I'm sure I'm not alone in wondering if Jake Gyllenhaal should be trusted with those swords. Just look at those sharp edges, wantonly flung asunder while the High Priestess Tamina has only some flotsom fabric and a sultry glare for protection.
We have another event to add to the Prince of Persia release schedule for May and that is a preview of the film on 12 May at a NYC event for Sprint. We have already seen that the iPad has been marketed with a PoP scene and now there is also PoP phone wallpaper. But so far, still no sign of PoPsocks or Dastan Pillows. I'd like to put in a request for some PoP Towels.
Gemma Arterton is interviewed in the new edition of Details magazine and in it she says that she has experienced some bad feeling because her character Tamina does not look like the videogame heroine Farah: 'They want me to go to Comic-Con. It kind of worries me... I've gotten letters telling me I'm not right for the part because I don't look like the girl in the video game! She really is this sex goddess. They've got massively high standards.' No, they just may not realise that Farah is not a human being.
I have come to the conclusion that Prince of Persia has been made and is being released purely as a marketing tool to promote the launch of Prince of Persia: The Lego. As is demonstrated by this amazing trailer for the sets. I feel unworthy - I stuck Dastan on a camel and put a snake in the hand of a baddie and that has been the extent of my lego construction skills. (Is Dastan really pronounced like that?)
I thought it was Monday. But I must be wrong because we have another Jake Gyllenhaal Facebook video! But this time Jake doesn't answer a specific fan question. Instead he thanks us all for joining the Prince of Persia Facebook fan page community. As if anyone could resist?! Watch it here.
Some people find themselves moved to poetry and art at the sight of a meadow full of spring's first flowers, or at the sight of a young animal, furry and taking its first wobbly steps, or at waves lapping on to a white sandy beach at dusk while majestic turtles bury their eggs - for me, it's simple. Stick Jake Gyllenhaal on a horse and I'll never run short of rhyme or paint. I thank you Disney for the new Prince of Persia publicity stills which are indeed works of art.
Sir Ben looks like such a nice chap...
While it's less than certain that I will be able to move Prince Dastan himself in to my flat, I can at least have Prince Dastan lego and it's good to know that lego has roped in Jake for some publicity and that he has been involved in a voiceover. By the sound of it, Jake recorded his piece in Montreal a couple of Saturdays ago: 'With Jake's busy schedule, it was tough to find the right time slot to record, but as always, we were more than happy to accommodate last minute openings. When we received word a few days ago that Jake could patch in through ISDN from a Montreal studio, we were happy to oblige. The Saturday morning session was a pleasant surprise. The recording went smoothly, and we even finished ahead of schedule.'
'Jake was quite the professional, even staying in character between takes at times! He was very friendly, and kept us all entertained with his playful side comments, (An example of his insight: We should all aspire to the ripped physique and "plastic abs" of his Lego counterpart.) Needless to say, Jake proved to be the perfect Prince of Persia.' The short will be released at the same time as the film. More here. I love how Jake stays in character even when he's lego.
We know from GQs of old that Jake keeps a journal. It therefore seems only right that Lego Jake Dastan does the same thing, as we can see here:
Jordan Mechner's graphic novel Prince of Persia: Before the Sandstorm has now been published. It's available from Amazon and you can read more about it at Jordan's blog.
The Volcano may have vanquished the mighty Iron Man, but Mother Nature has at last accepted my sacrifices and tomorrow the metal birds will again soar across the sky!
Pictures from links and from Disney, thanks to IHJ.
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.
[Update:] There's a certain film coming out in May and to mark the occasion Entertainment Weekly has a feature on Prince of Persia, including a Q&A with Jake Gyllenhaal who would be glad to do PoP 2 if you give him a plate of protein. And we have some great words from Mike Newell about Jake: 'He's like a little Lord of Misrule... It's great to have a hero who doesn't take himself too seriously, and Jake's got a tremendous cheekiness to him. He's a naughty boy. With abs.' Many thanks to BBMISwear :-)
It might be Friday but today we got the fifth Prince of Persia Thursday question with Jake Gyllenhaal telling us what it was like when he received the offer of playing Dastan. 'I was super excited - I knew what a huge undertaking it was going to be and how much time I would I would have to devote to it but I was just so excited.' You can see the video here (recorded on that super dope set with gold elephants) and below.
With thanks to BBMISwear, who (the evidence suggests) must be a secret avid gamer, we have a scan from the brand new edition of Gameinformer magazine. Jake says about spending time with PoP pop Jordan Mechner: 'It was cool, because the best day was when Jordan came on set and said, 'This is awesome'. Everytime he would see stuff, he'd say. This is my dream.'
And on playing the game: 'I got really into it - too into it, actually. They would call me to set and I'd say 'Just give me one second, I need to finish this!' I don't want to get too sucked into it, because who knows what will happen. But, yeah, I'm definitely into it.'
We also have some delicious new images from two of the veritable library of PoP books that we will be filling our shelves with this summer: We Make Our Own Destiny and Movie Storybook. There are some stunners here (especially the guy with the big blue eyes, the bursting muscles, the leather straps and the flying scarves).
Jake also models here the perfect outfits to wear just in case you have a run in with a volcanic ash cloud.
The Afterword to Destiny - written by Jake himself - has his personal and very endearing take on what it was like to make that big leap on Day 1. 'It's high'.
We have a Prince of Persia group photo - I do apologise for the girl picking her nose.
I know Jake likes to eat adventurously but peacock may be a step too far... But he has the outfit for it. And the knife to cut it too.
Maggie, out and about last night, had this to say about PoP: 'That will probably be a big deal. I hear it's really great — it's really funny and kind of smart. I hear it has a little Indiana Jones quality to it. I have not seen it, but I hear it's great!"
Incidentally, the feisty Princess of Persia, Gemma Arterton, is on Jonathan Ross tonight...
Pictures from Disney. Many thanks to IHJ and BBMISwear for the scans! And it's not even May yet...
