Gyllenhaal to play with the "Sands of Time"

I bet many of you were compiling a list of A-Listers who could fill the sandals of the "Prince of Persia" in Jerry Bruckheimer's big budget adaptation of the computer game? No?! Well, for arguments sake let's say that you were...I doubt that Jake Gyllenhaal would have been top of said list. The "Donnie Darko" and "Brokeback Mountain" star has come from the field just adjacent of leftfield and nabbed the lead in director Mike Newell's big, bold Walt Disney effort.

Gyllenhaal will be joined by the prolific Gemma Arterton ("St. Trinian's" and the upcoming "Quantum of Solace") as the would-be ruler's love interest and ally. The titular prince, named Dastan, must reclaim his land and prevent insidious noblemen from acquiring the Sands of Time - a powerful talisman that can control and bend time (I bet you didn't see that coming?!). Along the way Dastan forges a powerful friendship with the princess Tamina (Arterton) as to ascend the throne and claim what is rightfully his.

Doug Miro, Carlo Bernard, Jordan Mechner and Boaz Yakin (that's more or less a gaggle of writers then) wrote the script, which is based on the many games created by Jordan Mechner for Ubisoft. Production is due to start in July.