Gyllenhaal, whose previous film credits include Brokeback Mountain, Jarhead and Donnie Darko, is joined by Gemma Arterton as the princess Tamina.

Loosely following the events of the 2003 multiplatform game Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, the film tells the tale of the young prince Dastan—a counterpart to the game's historically unnamed protagonist the Prince—who must prevent a nobleman from possessing the legendary Sands of Time and ruling the world.

Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Mike Newell (Pushing Tin, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), the film is set to start filming this July. The script was written by Jordan Mechner, who created the Prince of Persia series for Broderbund in 1989.