Collider had the opportunity to catch up with producer Jerry Bruckheimer at the National Treasure: Book of Secrets junket. In doing so they managed to reveal a number of interesting new details about the film’s schedule (albeit in some terribly phrased English).

The important points to take from the interview:

• Nobody has been cast
• The movie may become a franchise
• Filming is set to start in June, if the writer’s strikes get resolved.

Some quotes:

Jerry Bruckheimer: We hired a very interesting director – Mike Newell – who did one of the Harry Potter’s and also did Donnie Brasco and he’s a very inventive, ingenious director and I think he’s going to bring something really special to it. [...]

Q: Is this one of these properties that you envision the possibility of a franchise [...]?

Jerry Bruckheimer: Yes. It’s a big production and if they work it’s another character that you can take on other adventures.

Q: Do you have any casting on it?

Jerry Bruckheimer: Not yet.

As promised…

Via Reelz

Reelz Channel will soon be posting a video interview with Mike Newell concerning the Prince of Persia Movie adaptation. In the mean time, Reelz report:

From the way he was talking, Newell made it clear that he plans to make this movie. The only thing that is holding up progress is indeed the writers’ strike that has ground Hollywood to a hault. [...]

When asked if and how the ‘dagger of time’ would figure into the movie, Newell affirmed that it will be the main focus. ‘It’s all about the dagger of time,’ he told us.

Thanks Westley!

Well, this was a turn up for the books and something I didn’t really see coming. It seems that Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney have made an offer to Mike Newell (Harry Potter Goblet of Fire, Donnie Brasco) to direct, according to Variety. Negotiations are expected to begin in the coming week.

Thanks to John for the heads up.

A blog network delivering the latest news updates on a range of in-production blockbuster movies.

Screenwriter/Executive Producer John August has laid down his views regarding Disney’s planned release date for the Prince of Persia adaptation, he’s not so sure:

Several sites have reported that Disney has picked July 10, 2009 as the release date for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. My guess is that this got written on a whiteboard at some strategic planning meeting, in answer to the question, “Hey, if we made that Prince of Persia movie, when would we release it?”

It’s a perfectly good date, but I have no idea if there will be a movie to show. I don’t know if it’s getting made, or who’s directing, or who’s starring. No one knows, not even the people signing the checks. It’s still a project in development.

John’s Site.

Maybe late summer 2009? We’ll have to see how things develop.

Nothing more to really say, Disney has set forth not just a vague Summer 2009 indication, but a specific date – July 10th to be exact, 2 years and one month from now. The ball, like that one in Indiana Jones, is certainly rolling now, Parkour and all.

Via ComingSoon.

Latino Review is a website infamous for its early previews, publications and reviews of in-development first draft scripts. This time they have done it again with a review of Bruckheimer’s Prince of Persia adaptation, with screenplay written by Jordan Mechner and Jeffrey Nachmanoff. Their conclusion?

Rating: A-, Almost Perfect

What does that mean in real terms? Not a lot really, but it is encouraging. To surmise the fairly lengthy review:

• Expect a lot of Parkour (remember that scene in Casino Royale?) – Personally I feel that this film is perfect for some parkour exhibitionism, melding seamlessly with the subject matter: “Parkour is a physical art of French origin, the aim of which is to move from point A to point B as efficiently and quickly as possible, using principally the abilities of the human body.“
• The script begins with Nizam and the Persian Army intercepting some smugglers. Distan is introduced in a knife throwing contest.
• Distan is soon in possession of a ceremonial dagger with a glass handle filled with sand and encrusted with stones.
• By the end of act 1 the storyline of the film is setup (not revealed here) and the powers of the dagger briefly unveiled.

And here is a prospective movie poster: