Thursday, April 8, 2010

"You can't replace Jake"



Wired has a feature on the Prince of Persia main players, who were interviewed at WonderCon last weekend. Jordan Mechner, Jake Gyllenhaal, Mike Newell and Jerry Bruckheimer are all interviewed

Mechner talks about the wonder of seeing his creation turned into an epic movie:

Years later, Mechner arrived in Ouarzazate, in the deserts of Morocco, where the movie was being filmed. “I saw hundreds of extras and camels and horses out on a ridge, and realized that all these thousands of people had come to the desert in August because of this little Apple II game that I made 20 years ago,” he says.



Jake talks about playing the game in order to get to know his character:

But he also spent a good deal of time playing Sands of Time, focusing on the main character.

“What I liked about him is that he had this attitude in the game,” Gyllenhall says. “Not that he was a complainer, but he never really liked to fall. It was always a pain in the ass for him. If he got cut, he’d be like, ‘Argh, God!’ The fact that he put that spin on it: ‘Really? You just cut my fuckin’ arm off?’ I like that attitude. Eye-rolling when something doesn’t go your way, but not in an obnoxious way.”




“In the games, you have the prince fighting with the woman, and you have this natural sense of romance,” he says. “Both are always abrasive with each other, which is in the movie. That tit-for-tat, she’s-a-bad-ass-and-he-can’t-deal-with-it, that sexual tension is the same.”



Although Bruckheimer says that Gyllenhaal’s eagerness to perform daring feats made the editing process much easier, he was careful to not let him go too far. “I didn’t want him to get hurt,” Bruckheimer says. “You have an actor who is very physical and does a terrific job, but he’s still got to come back to work the next day. A stuntman, unfortunately, if he gets hurt, you can put another one in there. But you can’t replace Jake.”



No, you can't, Jerry, no you can't!


AICN interviewed this month's GQ cover boy at WonderCon:

That’s how Jim [Sheridan] works. It was just like “This scene really can be whatever we want it to be.” He just wanted something real and alive and present and working with Mike, too… There’s this one scene we shot in the desert where something wasn’t working and I just said to him “Maybe I’m just going to say this one line to her” and I really gave it to Gemma [Arterton]. I really gave it to her and she responded and it came out of nowhere and Mike gets like a kid in a candy shop, it’s almost annoying. (laughs)

He’s like (shouting) “Oh, my dear boy!” and I’m like “Oh, my God! Okay, okay. It was good. It wasn’t great,” but it’s those moments. It’s what I do it for. That’s what we tried to capture, but I’m starting to lean more and more about how to do that and a lot of that is with a director who creates space… at least from my department, from the acting department, gives me that space to get closer to myself, even if I’m playing a character who is very different from myself, if that makes any sense.




It was like… You know, I’ve never been on something that big where there were three of me every day. Do you know what I mean? There would literally be three of me. There are three guys and then literally three of me. (laughs) ...

It required an intensity and a focus that I have actually then brought to this work I do now and I’ve developed techniques that have really helped me. Even if the movie is smaller… I just develop these really wonderful things. I see actors do funny things, but I have in the past who have had great experience in films and I’ve been like “What are they doing?”


It's a classic Jake interview - a little rambling and a lot entertaining. He also talks about Source Code. So check it out.


If Disney releases a featurette a day, will it keep the audiences away? It feels like they are going to release the whole movie in three-minute shorts! Of course, we welcome each new video happily. Today's focus is the Hassansins, which I now can only hear the way Mike Newell uttered it and Jake mocked.



Video courtesy of Movie Web.


If you want to hear Jake talk about getting a rash, take a listen!


Some might haver missed this interview among all the replies yesterday. Jake talks about going back to 6th century Persia to live with Daniel Day Lewis.



And yet another video, this time from Destructoid. They interview Jake, Jordan Mechner, Mike Newell, Jon Turteltaub and Nicolas Cage, all intercut. It's funny and has some different questions, which is nice.



Wouldn't it be cool to see this banner in your hometown?




(Some photos courtesy of IHJ.)

35 comments:

UltraViolet said...

I think this is old news, but just in case:

In a list of fears of the movie, number one would be ostriches, number two would be the accent, number three would be sword fighting."

Not sure how accurate this site is, but they have 12/29 as the release date for LaOD in the U.K.

Very brief snippet of Jake in this WonderCon montage.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for all the videos and interviews UV, you have been very busy. Quint from AICN has posted his interview interview with Jake.

Fredrick The Great said...

The Isabel Lucas story is starting to make the rounds on the internet.

Anonymous said...

Jake on the cover of Mays GQ Magazine pic here

Extra said...

I do feel like some may feel like they Have seen too much already with the release of the featurettes. Personally it won't effect me.I love them I don't think they give away too much IMO.

In the AICN interview Jake points out that Molina is in a lot of the movie but you really don't see a lot of him in the trailers/features. I love that Quint who interviewed Jake is such a Molina fanboy! I also liked that he was such a fan of Brothers and he seemed just as excited about SC as he was Pop!

I feel a bit overwhelmed with all the Jake/Pop news, thanks for all your hard work UV!

Thanks Anon. @ 3:56 for the AICN link and 8:17 for the GQ cover scan, he looks great!

Looking forward to the interview.

And no Jerry, Jake can't be replaced!

mary said...

cant wait for GQ magazine to come out love the pic should be out in a couple of weeks and no we cant replace jake

mary said...

cant wait wait for GQ magazine to come out love the pic should be out in a couple weeks

and no we cant replace jake jerry

Cathy E said...

It's funny - normally I don't like spoilers, but I don't seem to mind all the clips and info we've been getting. I love the latest clip, the villains look more real and not some CGI concocted group. I think we're going to be in for a pleasant surprise; I think nothing will match the real thing experience on the big screen in May.

I love this first pic, I was thinking about the description of it from the interview we read, where they said he was "perched up on the window of his hotel room overlooking", etc. Made him sound like a peregrine falcon. Very parkourish too. Off to look at GQ! :)

Paula said...

I like the first pic of Jake posted, he looks so cool and serene. I remember Merchner tweeting about them being interviewed in their hotel suites.

I really liked the Wired interview and the AICN interview, thanks so much.

Some of the stuff that Disney is releasing is spoilerish, but I am finding it hard to keep away from it! We are getting so spoiled and there is more to come.

I can't wait to read the GQ interview, thanks for the link anon.

bobbyanna said...

The Quint interview was a great read. Jake's so gracious when he's promoting his work. He always emphasizes other actors and his directors. You never get the "Me" sense from him. He doesn't "talk down" either.

As for spoilers: When I compare the PoP clips to clips from Brothers, I can really see a contrast in approach to marketing.

Yes, two very different kinds of films, but focussing on plot, while there were important facts we didn't learn from the Brothers clips,I still felt they were spoilerish, & not enough thought was given to how they were released. More evidence of the shabby slapped together "marketing campaign."

With PoP, the clips are exciting. They give a sense of the scope of the movie and the storyline, without giving key elements away.
There's a plan in place and it's very deliberate.

So I'm enjoying everything, and really looking forward to seeing it in the theater. It does have an "old school" feel to it, and that's fine, bcz I loved Indiana Jones.:)

Jake is irreplaceable. Glad JB understands that.:)

Anonymous said...

Isabel Lucas has just started filming "The Immortals" in Montreal. Hmmmmm....

UltraViolet said...

Thanks to the anons for the GQ cover link and the AICN info.

I liked the Quint interview, too. Just the right amount of GyllenBabble! I wonder if Bruckheimer, et al., will be annoyed that they talked about SC and Brothers so much!

Since this is only Duncan's second directorial effort and he sometimes still appears focused on Moon, it's good to hear Jake praising him.

Cathy, I also am usually spoiler-free. It doesn't bother me so much with PoP either, for some reason. Maybe because the plot is by nature fantastical.

Also, despite the thousands of video clips, I still don't really know what happens.

And I love your description of Jake, Cathy. The picture is very parkour indeed.

I like the GQ cover, but it's a little dull. I wish they'd gone wild and done something really different with Jake. Still can't wait to see the real thing, though.

UltraViolet said...

Wanted to comment a little more on the two interviews, as well. All of this gets lost in the onslaught and we don't get to dive in.

I liked how Jake described working out the details of the movie while playing the game, especially the part where he discusses the princess and Dastan. It could be just that I'm dwelling on the "he really gave it to the princess" part, though :)

And it was interesting to read between the lines in the AICN piece. Like maybe Mike Newell could get on Jake's nerves a bit, but at the end of the day, they seem genuinely fond of each other.

And Bobbyanna, I agree with you totally on the marketing of Brothers v. PoP. Different beasts, obviously. But Disney, even if everything doesn't work, at least has a plan. They know what they are doing.

Lionsgate/Relativity totally dropped the ball on Brothers. Clearly it was never going to get a huge campaign ala PoP. But they didn't do anything clever or aggressive or even smart. Ugh.

It was nice to hear someone give Jake props for the movie, since that didn't happen enough.

Cathy E said...

Also, despite the thousands of video clips, I still don't really know what happens.

Exactly! I still really can't tell what's going to happen either. Loving the villains and those star thingys they are throwing around. ;)

Thanks, UV. Jake is looking good on GQ too. :)

Cathy E said...

I saw that too - ;) I guess I have a dirty mind. lol

Office of nancy Pelosi said...

I love how Jake is always so generous with his co-stars in his interviews, he is always giving them their props.

Reading through all the interviews it's interesting how much Jake researched and played the game. Even though Pop is a fantasy popcorn flick, he still shows that he is dedicated to his craft and has a serious approach to all of his roles.

I didn't expect so much Brothers talk during that AICN interview. What a pleasant surprise to find out Quint was such a fan of the film.


The featurettes are fine with me, it's a different type of film from a film like Brothers where I felt that they did give away too much and spoiled it for some people.

The Pop trailers and featurettes really don't give away any plot points IMO, it's all very visual and like you said Bobbyanna, it has a old school feel to it.

The GQ cover is ok, but the color seem a bit off.

bobbyanna said...

Not crazy about the GQ cover, either. Agree, I wish they would have been more creative. It's not a bad cover,just kind of bland.

On Brothers:
"..they didn't do anything clever or aggressive or even smart."

Exactly.

Anonymous said...

The GQ cover is o.k. but it's close to being all one color - maybe he needed a red tie or something..ha.
But seriously, as far as all the clips from POP we are involved with everything that is out there but i think a lot of people aren't as focused as we are and they have mainly seen in the theater or on t.v. the few preview screenings.
And too there's a lot about the movie we haven't seen it just seems like we've seen a lot.
The Quint interview is very good and once again someone who had an impression of Jake before he met him and Jake changed that.
I'm not sure what the problem is other than they must not of watched very few if none at all of the interviews he has done on the talk shows. He is always funny and enthusiastic. And he has always been someone who loves what he does and it comes through. And each movie Is a learning experience and that's one of the best things about being an actor - learning.
Good for Quint with "Brothers".
For Duncan "Moon" is still very much with him and some of that is because it is being shown in other countries now and also out in DVD in others. It's still on-going for him at the moment. (And it being his first movie).
But am sure he'll be doing a lot of SC talking. And he's lucky he has an actor who gets the word out about him (and Moon) the way Jake does.

FL said...

I love that first pic on the blog. I assume Quint himself took that? The whole opening monologue must have been awkward as hell. Jake seats him eye level with his crotch. Then at some point Quint has to ask Jake if he can take a photo of him. I guess it's only funny-awkward to me. :-D

I read that AICN interview much much too early this morning so it really didn't make much sense to me, other than making me dizzy. Will have to give it another go at some point.

I sometimes wonder why magazine photo editors put up the photos they do. Here you have Jake Gyllenhaal of the most beautiful blue eyes yet the GQ cover all but washes out his eye color. I suppose they were going with arty sepia-toned. Meh.

I also have to say that Jake G is funny as hell, and Russell Peters had his hands full trying to keep up with Jake's on set improvs.

Oh look at that, Duncan Jones said something about Jake again. I imagine he felt he had to since Jake is talking him up all over town. Oh and Duncan, 86 the girlfriend from Montreal. She's diverting your attention away from the truly important things like talking up Source Code, posting set photos, talking up Jake's performance on Source Code. thankyouverymuch.

Monica said...

The photo of Wired is fantastic. And the interview with Jake is very good.
Jake really loves his job.

UV, I have not seen the latest videos, because many things are related to the game and I played the game. I want to stay away from spoilers.

I liked the quote from Jake about what Nolan did with Batman movies. What he did with character of my childhood was something that surpassed my expectations.
I do not know if anyone read, but Nolan's brother wanted Jake for the role of Batman, and Nolan wanted Christian Bale.

Thanks for the interview of AICN, anon. I need to read the interview again.hehe

The cover of GQ was what I expected. I think the color is to remind the desert.

Thanks for all this informations, babblers.

Tweety said...

Pop is one of those "epic' films where you can see so many teasers and such that you still have to try and figure out what is going on. I don't find the featurettes spoilerish at all, it just adds to the excitement and countdown to May 28!

That was a really great interview with Jake at AICN with Quint. He really liked Brothers alot and is even more excited about SC!

I know where the photographer was going with the colors used for the GQ cover (sand) but it's a bit dull and Jake just fades. Hopefully the pics inside are better, I can't wait to read the interview!


You have posted so many videos from Wondercon UV, so I don't know if this was posted already. It's really funny, they interview Jake, Newell and Mercher:

http://www.destructoid.com/vtoid-from-bubble-boy-to-prince-of-persia-170308.phtml

Tweety said...

I forgot to add: I noticed that Jake said that Nailed is now called The Nail in that AICN interview!

Monica said...

Film Experience Blog:

We Can't Wait: LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS

Sheba said...

Loved that interview with the Destructoid guys. And we'll be in the alley with you Jake :DDD

Extra said...

Jake answers fan question #4 regarding parkour:

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=655899425236&ref=mf

Unknown said...

Premiere of PoP in Argentina 27 of May!!!

Will be true?

Gyllenbabble said...

Thanks, Tweety. I added that video to the post. It's very funny.

Did you see the extended version of the SF sighting you posted yesterday? I should have posted it in this post, too. Very amusing.

And yes, sheba. We'll have Jake's back in that alley. Or something...

Oh, Leonor, I hope that's the correct date. You'll have a one-day head start on us :)

Thanks for the link, Monica. I think a lot of people are anticipating LaOD - just not the folks at Film Experience, I guess.

And I didn't know you are avoiding PoP spoilers. Good for you!

Love the Duncan tweet, FL. Thanks!

And hello to Paula, Extra, OONP and Mary. There are fun times :)

Gyllenbabble said...

Extra, I forgot to say thanks for the FB linkk. I have to say this is one area where Disney is underwhelming me. The PoP sight is overly busy and underly stocked.

And these Facebook videos are pretty pointless.

Yeah, Jake looks good in them but they are too short to be memorable.

Non seq, but is anyone else having trouble with the site on Safari and/or Firefox (on a Mac) today? I keep getting the spinning beachball.

Monica said...

Hollywood Top Ten… Actors Under the Age of 30

2. Jake Gyllenhaal (29)

Tweety said...

Yes I saw the extended SF sighting you posted, that was so funny! I love reading stuff like that about Jake.

The Prince of Persia Facebook is blah which is surprising since Disney has been so spot on with everything else.

Chica said...

I really love the Hassansins video!

I think Disney has done a great job with promoting Pop so far (with the exception of their lame-ass Facebook, and I agree that the video clips are not long enough to have any impact except that he does look good!)

I like that first photo of him posted, he looks so mature and sexy and confident.

I'm really enjoying all the videos and interviews from Wondercon, Jake is such a wonderful subject to interview.

I don't like that GQ cover at all, the colors, clothes are all wrong. He is such a goodlooking man but they managed to make him look bleh here. I hope there are better pics and a great interview in the magazine!

I hope that date is true Leonor, thanks for the link Monica! Coming in 2nd after Ryan Gosling is great!

suvee said...

I keep getting the spinning beachball.

At work, we call it the "spinning rainbow wheel of death". :)
I'm not having any trouble with it on my home Mac though.

I'm to the point where I cannot keep these interviews straight in my head...... I can only imagine what it must be like for Jake. His humor (in a tent w/ DDL!) was totally lost on that poor little girl from GameLive (sorry if that's not the correct name). He looked mighty relieved to escape from that one.

Don't love the GQ cover, but don't hate it. Beige suit? Not his best color IMO. But that shirt and tie are killer. I'm praying the inside spread photos make up for the so-so cover.

Glad to hear you actually get some sleep, UV. I don't want to have to worry about you! :)

Get Real said...

I guess I am in the minority but I like the GQ pic. It isn't the best but I do think Jake is looking really great right now, love the hair, like the suit and I like his expression. I would have preferred to see more color and see those gorgeous eyes but I hope we see that inside the magazine.

Lots of interviews to check out! Jake seems really energized and excited and I love that. There is a lot of Gyllenbabble in the AICN interview from both of them, lol.

I am more and more interested in LAOD and Source Code.

brothers spy said...

Hey guys I thought you might want to know that they're almost done filming THE SOURCE CODE now, there's only two weeks left of filming to go.

Yesterday Duncan tweeted that they were finished all the "pod" stuff, and we already know that they're finished all the interior train scenes, and the second unit has been filming all "bridge" stuff yesterday and today in Chicago with a couple of more days left to film all the rest of the exteriors, etc.

All they have left to film now are the train station scenes, which should take no more than two weeks (if that). This corresponds with what the manmademovies guy on facebook wrote yesterday that there was "one or two weeks left in filming" and what Jake said at Wondercon that they were "almost done" filming.

They must be really ahead of schedule. Jake should be done filming by April 23rd at the latest.

UltraViolet said...

Yeah, I was surprised to hear Jake say they were "almost" finished on SC. I guess Duncan moves fast!

Get Real, I think Jake looks good in the GQ pic, but I was hoping for something stunning. It's just regular gorgeous Jake, lol.

Chica - mature, sexy and confident is a perfect way to describe the Wired photo. And Jake :)

Monica, thanks for the link for the Under-30 actors. Would have liked to see a little analysis and not just a list of films. But still cool.

Suvee, I actually fell asleep at a "normal" time so now I'm up too early! Since it's a new day, that must mean a new post :)