Jun 3 2008Respectable People Unexpectedly Join 'Prince of Persia'
Sir Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina have joined Jerry Bruckheimer's Prince of Persia video game adaptation, adding some unexpected credibility to the project that was already cleverly being referred to as "Prince of Turdsia" (by me).
Alfred Molina will join Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton and Ben Kingsley in Disney's "Prince of Persia," the Mike Newell-directed adaptation of the Ubisoft fantasy actioner. Jerry Bruckheimer is producing.Molina will play Sheik Amar, who becomes a mentor to the prince.
Sounds like Bruckheimer has finally figured out what separates the typical, detestable video game adaptation from the hypothetical idea of a good one: distinguished British accents. After all, what made the first two X-Men films some of the better comic book adaptations? The charming accents of Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, of course. Why was the fantasy world of Lord of the Rings so rich and immersive? Because Ian McKellen's voice told us it was. Why did we believe that we too could enter a chalk drawing and sing nonsensical songs with cartoon horse spectators? Only because of the utterly convincing Cockney accent of Dick Van Dyke. It all makes sense now. If someone can get John Hurt to play Dr. Wiley in a Mega Man adaptation, it will probably win an Oscar.
Alfred Molina joins 'Prince of Persia' [Variety]
Reader Comments
1. Chris - June 3, 2008 12:42 PM
I vote for Daniel Craig as Bayou Billy.
2. Rod - June 3, 2008 12:42 PM
You know, I want to disagree with you, Watcher, but I can't. I want this movie to be good, I really do, because the games were great (mostly) and there's a lot they could do in a major motion picture to convey the badassery of the games, but video games movies are pretty consistently awful, and the fact that this one is being produced by Disney made my heart drop. Odds are it isn't going to be as dark as it should be. I'd also bet that he gets a cute, wise-cracking sidekick with a stereotypical, borderline-racist accent.
3. ray - June 3, 2008 1:06 PM
Kingsley was in Blood Rayne--that nulls any cred he might lend to a video game movie.
4. Stuart - June 3, 2008 1:06 PM
The problem with the video games-made-movies is that most of the time, the people making them treat the movie AS a Video Game Turned Movie, which usually makes them underestimate their audience and think they don't want anything more than action/T&A, or makes them try to recreate the feel of the video game in some trying to hard way (First Person Perspective segments of Doom). They should just look at what category the story of the game comes under and try to make a good film under than type. So Prince of Persia shouldn't be approached as a video game movie, but a fantasy adventure one. And who they have attached at least gives the impression that they're putting some effort into it (lack of ethnic accuracy aside).
5. Elmo - June 3, 2008 2:24 PM
I like Ben Kingsley....
NO!
Damnit, this movie has credibility now!
damnit! damnit! damnit!
6. Professor Butinko - June 3, 2008 2:35 PM
that last thing about the megaman movie. made my eyes glow.
7. Rod - June 3, 2008 3:32 PM
@ #4
You hit the nail on the head, and that's exactly how I feel. As I was reading your comment, I was picturing movies(read: turds) like DOOM and House of the Dead. I play a lot of games for the story. MGS would have been just another stealth-based game if it weren't for the mind blowing story, yet how much do you want to bet that the movie is going to be a giant pile of crap, even though you'd have a near-perfect script if you just followed the game exactly?
8. katie g - June 3, 2008 9:43 PM
A Mega Man movie would be one of the greatest thing ever, besides a REAL Legend of Zelda flick.