Bruckheimer Films buys Prince of Persia film rights

By Tom Bramwell Published 4 March, 2004

With Jordan Mechner on vocals. Pirates of the Sands of Time!

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time looks set to follow the likes of Resident Evil and Street Fighter onto the big screen, according to a report on Variety.com that Jerry Bruckheimer Films is negotiating a seven-figure deal to buy the rights.

Encouragingly though, word is that the deal includes a script penned by series creator Jordan Mechner, who also came up with the entertaining script behind The Sands of Time - one of our favourite releases of 2003 - and that the subject matter is being handled in a similar way to Pirates of the Caribbean, as Mechner himself explains:

"Rather than do a straight beat-for-beat adaptation of the new videogame, we're taking some cool elements from the game and using them to craft a new story - much as 'Pirates' did with the theme park ride," he said this week. Another thing in common with Pirates is that the game is earmarked as a Disney feature film, with executive veepee of production Jason Reed overseeing the project for the Mickey Mouse outfit.

According to executive producer John August, who is supervising Mechner's script, the Prince in the film will be a bit like a 9th century Indiana Jones. "He's fourth in line to the throne, with no shot of ever becoming king," says August, "So it's given him permission to lead a very reckless and exciting life."

With any luck, the film will become one of Bruckheimer's big summer blockbusters, rather than a bit part player in a crowded calendar, hopefully ensuring the attachment of big names (Johnny Depp as the Prince, anybody? Kristan suggests Guy Pearce), and will be produced by Bruckheimer himself, and exec produced by Mechner along with Bruckheimer Films' Mike Stenson and Chad Oman.

Hopefully we'll be able to bring you more on this as it gathers steam! If not, we'll just turn back time and try again...

Oh, and cheers to Whizzo for the link!

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (24) Latest comment 8 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Fizzy #1 8 years ago

    Well, here is a game with actually a chance to be a good movie. However, Bruckhiemer is a double edged sword. Sure there will be a lot of money to go into it to make it look good, but will it have a soul?

  • Tiger_Walts #2 8 years ago

    But you can't have car chases and explosions in Persia!

  • Whizzo #3 8 years ago

    I thought PotC had a fair amount of soul to it, if they do the job properly it's got great potential. Johnny Depp as the prince? Nah he's too old, you need someone in their early twenties at the oldest.

  • pjmaybe #4 8 years ago

    Nic Cage IS Prince of Persia.

    (and he'll probably still have the pseudo-elvis accent too)

    Peej

  • Fizzy #5 8 years ago

    PotC was great. It was Disney right?

    At the end of the day this will depend on who directs it. Best would to give it to Spielberg, but that isnt going to happen.
    The Prince is young, can't have Cage (who is a great actor), he's too old for the role.

  • Tiger_Walts #6 8 years ago

    Bill Murray!

    ..in a sort of nod to Groundhog Day ;)

  • Kami #7 8 years ago

    Sounds good, actually...

    My only question is - WTF happened to the Parasite Eve film?!?!

    I WANT AYA BREA!!!

  • sam_spade #8 8 years ago

    Bruckheimer will give it to someone who he trusts with the film and someone who is going to be controllable.

    There's a reason Bruckheimer films look similar to each other, he's the man in control.

  • binky #9 8 years ago

    Fizzy - Spielberg? er....... NO!

    Made some top films, but everything after Jurassic Park *bar SPR* has been 20mins too long

  • binky #10 8 years ago

    good point Sam.
    He's a funny one, in the respect that how many other Movie Producers could u actually name??? Yet somehow Jerry Bruckheimer is always mentioned on posters/ trailers etc. Clever (read: rich) dude.

  • WriterUK #11 8 years ago

    how many other Movie Producers could u actually name???

    Dino De Laurentiis, the Salkinds, Joel Silver, Robert Zemeckis, Steven Spielberg (with their producer hats on)... to name just a few. ;)

  • binky #12 8 years ago

    yes but half the ones u named are known predominately for Directing so hush ;)

  • sam_spade #13 8 years ago

    Don Simpson!

    Oh.

  • Sko #14 8 years ago

    Can we have a segment of the film where the star spends over half an hour running around a deserted bath-house wondering what the hell is going on with just a disembodied voice egging him on?

  • Fizzy #15 8 years ago

    Sko,

    I was hoping more in the direction of magical swords, incredible stunts, ground breaking SFX, Gods and Demons from Zorastrian and Hindu mythology duking it out as our hero and the princess struggle to survive and restore sanity to the world all with a hint of humor.

    But Im sure they will fit in a bit of mindless running around and drinking water. Hell, I smell a Evian or some other mineral water tie in!!!

  • ruttyboy #16 8 years ago

    Disney, BOOOOO!

    Sorry, couldn't resist :)

  • funk #17 8 years ago

    "the Mickey Mouse outfit"
    lol

  • Sko #18 8 years ago

    You've also got something for the laaadies, in the shape of the hero's adventure-long slow strip. It's a good job Sands of Time finished where it did otherwise laddo would have been facing off against the big-bad in just his skivvies.

  • WoodenSpoon #19 8 years ago

    Also, the Prince must talk down to any females.

    "I don't have the strength of the GODS woman"

    etc...

  • Khab #20 8 years ago

    John Goodman as the Prince!

  • Flabio #21 8 years ago

    Parasite Eve? I thought the game was BASED on
    <a href=http://www.imdb. com/title/tt0119860/>this film</a>
    Edited by 1 at 05/03/04 @ 00:13

  • renzo #22 8 years ago

    C'mon, surely Will Smith would be the obvious choice?

    Fresh Prince of Persia anyone?

    *badaboom-tish*

    /vomits while trying to run away

  • t. #23 8 years ago

    oh great.

    has bruckenheimer ever been involved in a decent movie?

    maybe the prince can go forward in time, steal a mac, then go back a bit in time and prevent the aliens from invading earth by uploading a mac virus, thus skipping the whole reason for having will smith in a film.

  • Rankin #24 8 years ago

    It's called Pirates of the Caribbean, not Retards of the Caribbean.