Action with an ancient accent

Jake Gyllenhaal and Gemma Arterton in Prince of Persia. Photo / Supplied

Jake Gyllenhaal and Gemma Arterton have teamed up for a fantasy flick which could make them the new Johnny and Keira. The cast and creators of Prince of Persia talk to Desmond Sampson.

With an offbeat American actor as its swashbuckling hero, a pouty Brit beauty along for the ride, exotic locations, death-defying stunts, bloodcurdling action, irreverent humour, fleeting romance and an intrepid quest for treasure, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time could be the latest instalment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. After all, like Pirates, it's backed by Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

But instead, it's the first chapter of a possible seven-part saga based on the videogame, Prince of Persia, with Jake Gyllenhaal as the dashing Prince Dastan and Gemma Arterton as Princess Tamina.

"You're not the first to draw comparisons with Pirates of the Caribbean," chuckles Mike Newell, the venerable British director behind Four Weddings and a Funeral, Donnie Brasco and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, when quizzed about the similarities.

"In fact, one of the main reasons I wanted to make this movie is because it's a big, rip-roaring, action adventure like Pirates is.

"It's something I've never done before, but something I've always loved - that majestic, panoramic epic. It's actually what drew me to the movies in my teens. The chance to make a great, big-screen epic which is also a marvellous love story and wonderful comedy with all these fantastic characters which suck you in, was too much to resist - especially as it's a typical Jerry Bruckheimer blockbuster that's full of incidents and never stops."

And indeed it is full of incidents and non-stop action, from the cataclysmic invasion of the Holy City of Alamut by the marauding Persian army, to the clandestine, ninja-trained vigilantes - the Hassansins - in hot pursuit of Prince Dastan and the magical dagger he possesses - an ancient relic that can reverse time, rewrite history, extinguish life or all of the above, if it falls into the wrong hands.

It's also riddled with subterfuge, subplots and subtexts, as well as whimsical humour, colourful characters and explosive effects which make Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time a fanciful yarn and rollicking romp set in a place and period not previously exploited.

"We love bringing audiences into new worlds they haven't yet explored and ancient Persia is one of the most wonderful of them all," says Bruckheimer. "It has such a rich heritage of imagination and fantasy, which we tried to honour [and which] gave us enormous scope for phenomenal action."

"But we weren't saying, 'this is purely historical'. That's why the weaponry and costumes aren't necessarily authentic," says Newell. "Instead, we were saying, 'how can we set a movie in a mythical, magical place that no one's seen before? What kind of wild world can we create, to make people really enjoy themselves?' That's why it's a bit like the Wild West in Persia."

It's also a bit like a mix of The Mummy and Pirates of the Caribbean added to the thrills and spills of Indiana Jones - a factor that appealed to its leading man, Gyllenhaal.

"It's every American kid's dream to be like Indiana Jones, so to make a movie like this that's fun and noisy, where I can do stunts, is kind of fulfilling a childhood wish," he grins. "I jumped at the chance when they offered it to me and really enjoyed doing it. I'd love to make a few more action films like this."

To ensure he was ready for the part, Gyllenhaal not only studied Persian history, he also bulked himself up. That's because he didn't just want to act the part, he also wanted to look right and make his dashing, raffish character as realistic as possible.

"I did months of cardiovascular training, worked with gymnasts, practised sword-fighting, learned how to do parkour and did a lot of stunt horse riding," he says. "It was tough and I picked up a few injuries."

For Newell, who cast Gyllenhaal as his hero, it was a pleasing surprise to discover that he was determined to not only nail the acting but also the action sequences.

"I had Jake picked out from the beginning because not only did I know he was a terrific actor, but he also has a great sense of humour, a rebellious nature and is someone who's constantly going to surprise you," he surmises. "I thought he was the sort of actor an audience would plug into, because there's a sense of mystery to him, so they'd want to know more.

"I wasn't looking for a muscle-bound hunk though, so when Jake took on the whole business of doing the action scenes and the stunts himself, that was a revelation," acknowledges Newell.

"He really worked his socks off and turned himself from an actor into an action hero.

"He did a lot of the stunts and big action sequences himself. I'm eternally grateful for that, because the film wouldn't have had the continuity, or turned out like it has if he'd called the stuntman every time he stepped off the pavement. In fact, we had to stop him doing some stunts because he wanted to do everything - even when it was too dangerous."

Aside from the action-packed, swashbuckling antics, there's another side to Gyllenhaal's character: the reluctant romantic. The challenge of sparring in a series of amusing "will-they-won't-they" scenes with Arterton was relished by both.

"I loved the banter between the two of them," smiles Arterton. "There are some brilliant scenes where she's toying with him and he's toying with her, just taking the piss out of each other.

"But the reason they're doing that is because they fancy each other and want to get together. I think that makes for some great comic moments."

Newell admits that casting Arterton - before her appearance as a Bond babe in Quantum of Solace and her recent starring role in Clash of the Titans - was a risk. But he believed she was perfect for the role and would create some onscreen chemistry with Gyllenhaal.

"I was looking for somebody very exotic - someone different from Jake's desert lot - and I'd even thought about going to Bollywood, because I wanted that wonderful, liquid-eyed, dark-skinned look. But then Gemma came along and read for me and I just thought she was terrific - even though she was entirely unknown at the time."

The other consideration Newell had was ensuring that the legions of fans of the videogame which Prince of Persia is based on were kept happy.

"I knew how important it was to understand the game and use some of its aesthetics," he concedes. "But at the same time I didn't want to be slavish about that; I didn't want there to be a set of rules which says you can't do something because the game doesn't do that. If we'd gone down that path there wouldn't be a movie - they'd just be a lot of action - because there wouldn't be any heart in it, or any characters.

"I remember Jerry saying, when we started this, that he wanted to take people somewhere they've never been before," says Newell. "He wanted to transport the audience to a magic place where anything can happen - a place where you'll be excited, moved and get carried away by these characters, big poster-size colours and all the emotions.

"That, of course, is exactly what I wanted to do too - take the audience somewhere they've never been before and then not let them draw breath. I hope that's what we did."

LOWDOWN

What: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal and Gemma Arterton, directed by Mike Newell
Where and when: Opens at cinemas on May 27