Jake Gyllenhaal Is Prince Of Persia
Jake Gyllenhaal will portray the title character in Disney's PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME, based on the Ubisoft hit video game, per VARIETY.
Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney are hoping to turn the fantasy action story into a franchise a la PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN. Gemma Arterton will co-star as Tamina. She appears next in the upcoming James Bond film QUANTUM OF SOLACE in November.
Production begins in July, with Mike Newell directing from a script by Doug Miro and Carlo Bernard, Boaz Yakin and the game's creator Jordan Mechner. The film is expected to be released next summer.
Gyllenhaal will play Dastan, a young prince in sixth century Persia who joins forces with Tamina, a feisty and exotic princess to prevent a villainous nobleman from possessing the Sands of Time, a gift from the gods that can reverse time and allow its possessor to rule the world.
Jerry Bruckheimer Films' Mike Stenson, Chad Oman and Patrick McCormick will executive produce.
Ubisoft first released PRINCE OF PERSIA in 1989, with several sequels for various consoles released since then. The latest title will hit stores later this year.