When you turn a video game or a book into a movie, it can either be a hit or a miss, although, the latter is usually the case. As for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, the scale also tips in the direction of a miss. However, if there’s one thing we all can agree on, is that Jake Gyllenhaal did absolute justice in bringing Dastan to life, at least physically.
The actor went through an intense training session where he ended up gaining five to ten pounds of muscle for the role. Unfortunately, Jake Gyllenhaal’s dedication to the role wasn’t enough to make the film a success, and an intended sequel was ultimately called off. On top of that, the white-washing allegations against the film weren’t of much help either.
Jake Gyllenhaal Went Through Intense Training
The 2010 film, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, was adapted from a beloved video game of the same name. Jake Gyllenhaal was brought in to play the lead role of Dastan, the Prince of Persia. Of course, in order to play the character, Gyllenhaal had to turn around his physique. The actor proved that his talents go beyond acting and that he possesses the ability to truly transform his body for a role.
Simon Waterson was put in charge of Gyllenhaal’s training. The brief given to the trainer was pretty straightforward; he had to bulk up his client but not take away his flexibility, which can be a challenge. Waterson stated,
“There were lots of challenges. From fight choreography to parkour, he had to look like he had been bought up in a physical way, riding horses and being able to wield swords and knives. You have to be careful that you don’t take it to the extreme with the aesthetic because you don’t want it to look contrived.”
Therefore, Gyllenhaal’s training involved strength training, hand-in-hand with exercises to maintain flexibility.
As for his diet, the Nightcrawler actor was consuming 4,000 to 4,500 calories a day! Waterson’s meal plan was built on the foundation of a balanced diet which is why he never left out any food group. In the end, Gyllenhaal ended up gaining 5-10 pounds of muscle mass for the role. He stated, “I over-prepared myself because I never knew how much they were going to ask me to do.” After the shoot, though, the actor was ready to let go of the physique stating, “It’s going to turn into fat and I’m going to be happy.” Well, it’s not like he didn’t deserve it!
Prince of Persia Gets Called Out for White-Washing
Prince of Persia did not do well at the box office as it made $336 million on a budget of $150-200 million. The critics weren’t fans either and the Rotten Tomatoes score for the film stands at 37%. As if this was not enough, the Mike Newell-directed movie was considered one of the worst white-washing incidents at the time.
This was because Gyllenhaal, a white American actor was cast to play a character of Iranian descent. The actor talked about the ordeal to Yahoo Entertainment, stating,
“I think I learned a lot from that movie in that I spend a lot of time trying to be very thoughtful about the roles that I pick and why I’m picking them.”
Thanks to the box office bust, negative reviews, and perhaps the controversy, Prince of Persia: The Stands of Time never made it to a sequel like it had intended to. Initially, this movie was supposed to mark the beginning of a Pirates of the Caribbean-like franchise, but alas, luck was not on their side.
You can stream Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time on Disney+.
Source: Esquire
