Jake Gyllenhaal and Gemma Arterton will star in “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time,” mDisney and Jerry Bruckheimer Films’ adaptation of Ubisoft’s popular video game. Mike Newell is directing.

In the fantasy adventure, Gyllenhaal will play Dastan, a young prince in 6th century Persia who must join forces with Tamina (Arterton), a feisty and exotic princess, to prevent a villainous nobleman from possessing the Sands of Time, a gift from the gods that can reverse time and allow its possessor to rule the world.

Doug Miro and Carlo Bernard, Jordan Mechner and Boaz Yakin wrote the script, which is based on the games created by Jordan Mechner.

Bruckheimer is producing, while Mike Stenson, Chad Oman and Patrick McCormick are executive producing.

Bruckheimer praised Gyllenhaal as “charismatic” and has high hopes for Arterton, who tested for the role.

“We’ve been fairly fortunate with some our leading ladies,” Bruckheimer said. “Some of them have gone on to become major movie stars, going back to Nicole Kidman in a movie I did a long time ago called ‘Days of Thunder’ to Keira Knightley out of (’Pirates of the Caribbean’).”

Bruckheimer declined comment on the “Persia” budget other than to say, “It’s not one of our smaller productions.”

Production is set to start in July in Morocco and England.

Gyllenhaal next appears in Jim Sheridan’s “Brothers” with Tobey Maguire. He is repped by CAA and Management 360.

Arterton is relatively new on the film scene but already is generating heat for her work in Guy Ritchie’s upcoming “RocknRolla” and the new James Bond movie, “Quantum of Solace.” She is repped by Independent Talent Group.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter