Prince of Persia film could generate $2.7 billion-plus - Ubisoft

CEO Yves Guillemot and Jake Gyllenhaal-led action film franchise may generate more than Pirates of the Caribbean; French publisher investing more in game development.

Earlier this month, Disney spooled out the first trailer for Jerry Bruckheimer's latest big-budget blockbuster, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. The film has an estimated $150 million budget and features visual effects to rival Bruckheimer's previous highly lucrative collaboration with Disney, Pirates of the Caribbean.

That Jake Gyllenhaal is going places.

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot believes Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time's visual impression won't be the only thing to rival Pirates of the Caribbean. Speaking at the BMO Capital Markets 17th Annual Digital Entertainment Conference today, Guillemot said that the Jake Gyllenhaal-led action film franchise could be more lucrative than Disney's Pirates trilogy.

"What we hear is that it could be maybe stronger than Pirates, which did $2.7 billion dollars," Guillemot said as part of his presentation to analysts and investors. "I think this will really help our brand to become a major brand in this industry." Directed by Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Donnie Brasco), Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is due out on May 28 in the US and May 27 in the UK.

The statement appears to indicate that the Prince of Persia film franchise will continue after The Sands of Time. The first film, which is cowritten by series creator Jordan Mechner, appears as if it will follow the events of Ubisoft's game of the same name fairly closely. As indicated in the trailer (below), it centers on the Prince's acquisition of a magical dagger, which can be used to alter time. Before Ubisoft rebooted the franchise with 2008's Prince of Persia, the Sands of Time game trilogy continued with 2004's Warrior Within and 2005's The Two Thrones.

With Assassin's Creed II due out next week, Guillemot also addressed Ubisoft's new approach to developing its numerous created franchises. According to the French executive, Ubisoft intends to channel the same amount of resources into its other franchises as it has into Assassin's Creed II and the oft-delayed Splinter Cell: Conviction, which is due for the Xbox 360 and PC on February 23.

"We've decided to invest more on each of our franchises," he said. "It started with Assassin's Creed and Splinter Cell. We did put more energy, more people to create master products. We think that will help those games become big events when they come. All the 10 brands that we have will have more emphasis. We will release less new brands, but more emphasis on the brands that we've already created."

Notably, Assassin's Creed II producer Sebastien Puel said in May that more than 450 people are at work on Assassin's Creed II, with 75 percent of the original team having returned to work on the sequel. Putting that figure into context, Puel went on to note that the Assassin's Creed II team "is about three times the size of the team of the first game."

124 Comments

  • AFWorm

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 4:31 pm PT

    The fact that PotC attracted all age groups and made about $650 mil, makes me seriously doubt that a movie that doesn't seem like a film for the whole family will make even half that. I'm sure it'll make number one at the box office for the first couple weeks, but then rapidly drop off.

    Plus, with white-as-all-get-out Jake playing a Persian, I don't know if I can even suspend reality that far.

  • SeriousSean

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 2:28 pm PT

    @ Zerosumgame

    Yes, but I can manage to forgive them as long as I get really spiffy video games.

  • Zerosumgame

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 10:03 am PT

    this is exactly why the rich can be super-rich. They keep pumping out bs for avg consumer to "consume" while they just sipping wine in their living room.

  • vdarkfall999

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 8:42 am PT

    The title of this article is misleading. When Guillemot says that "it could maybe be stronger than Pirates, which did $2.7 billion" he's referring to the whole Pirates trilogy, not just the first film. The first pirates film banked about $650 million worldwide. However, I doubt that the PoP film will make more than $200-$300 million. PoTC had great reviews to back it and positive word-of-mouth generated by Johnny Depp's performance to keep people lining up for it. PoP's advertising will definitely get people in the theater for the first few weekends, but I can't see it having the staying power of Pirates.

  • neuroboy

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 5:00 am PT

    Looks way better than PotC, which was thoroughly over-rated twaddle. I just completed PoP on the 360 - a great game, and thoroughly under-rated. Will definitely be playing it again, and looking forward to a sequel.

  • Gooshnads

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 4:51 am PT

    i think Gillenhall can pull off the ... smugness of the prince of the first game....
    but he just doesnt have the look to fit the prince (maybe the first one but for all who've played the second and third, they may know what i mean) looking at the trailer
    it DOES look good and i mean there's the whole "dark" prince aspect in it as well
    i hope there's the Dahaka =P

  • singhellotaku

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 4:01 am PT

    It'll probably do more than most game movies but 3.7 billion seems like wishful thinking to me, I'm guessing about 70 million

  • welshy023

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 3:28 am PT

    Prince of Persia isn't a gore game. PG-13 is exactly the rating for what the first game was, if possibly a bit too much. The gore and tone of the second was really unnecessary and try-hard. It won't excede the level of the 2nd POTC film, which was by far the most violent of the 3.

  • -JediPaul-

    Posted Nov 16, 2009 1:12 am PT

    Wow! Prince of Persia movie? That's great! Oh, and the effects is to great, no doubt it's to costly!

  • lifegivith

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 9:03 pm PT

    looks pretty epic.

  • Strategygamer22

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 8:25 pm PT

    I was expecting the movie to be a gorefest, but I guess Disney wouldn't do that. Don't know how they'll cover the second a third games with a PG-13 rating.

  • geomyr

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 6:17 pm PT

    i already saw the trailer of the prince of Persia movie i m not surprise that the film could generate billions of dollars with all the special effects and other stuff like that i must admit that this film could generate more money since the pirates of the Caribbean film.

  • Xyandar

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 5:31 pm PT

    Im definitely going to see it, but im not anticipated to see it or anything.. Cant see it reaching 2.7 billion lol.. But who knows.

  • desanvium

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 3:21 pm PT

    don't count on it

  • phantom1593

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 1:58 pm PT

    disney has its name on it so ====> not that much blood/violence like in the game

  • KillerWabbit23

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 9:34 am PT

    I'll be seeing it. Just not with huge expectations, but it could be fun! =)

  • Ardus

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 8:13 am PT

    I have to admit the trailer exceeded all of my expectations, though they weren't very high.

    It still looks too Hollywood though, so much so that I was getting flashbacks of the 15 minutes of Transformers 2 I saw before walking out on it.

  • Adam_the_Nerd

    Posted Nov 15, 2009 12:54 am PT

    Looks like it'll be a great, fun adventure flick, but nothing deep, or complex. Nothing wrong with that

  • Mr_Manikin52

    Posted Nov 14, 2009 8:51 pm PT

    Jared Leto would make a better Prince.

  • Zerosumgame posted Nov 14, 2009 7:38 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Zerosumgame

    Posted Nov 14, 2009 7:38 pm PT (hide)

    one of the ugliest motion picture ever, inspired by a game.

  • PotHeel

    Posted Nov 14, 2009 1:52 pm PT

    Pirates of the Carribean was based on a rollercoaster. When it started Johnny Depp wasn't a sex symbol, he was the weird guy who did Tim Burton films. Keira Knightly was either Pride or Prejudice or Bend It Like Beckham. Orlando Bloom was the blond elf from the Lord of the Rings. Nobody thought that Pirates of the Carribean would be anything more than a flop. This movie has a definite chance of being possibly the first good game to movie transition. Like an Aladdin for grown-ups. Jake Gylenhall is the Rabbit from Donnie Darko, he carried The Day After Tomorrow and he was excellent in Brokeback Mountain. He is an excellent actor and is known as such. Gemma Arterton is hot and has good acting credentials also. the Pirates franchise became successful due to luck. Sure, this movie executive is counting his eggs before they hatch, but there definitely is an opportunity available for this film to create a niche of its own.

  • im-a-roustabout

    Posted Nov 14, 2009 9:43 am PT

    Idk if it's going to do better the Pirates because even though it was just a Disney ride at first, everybody knew about that ride, and I don't think everybody knows about this property. Also, it had Depp in it......I mean c'mon! My feeling says no, it won't do anywhere near as good. Idk why, but I do.

  • FF_fan2004

    Posted Nov 14, 2009 4:24 am PT

    @Way2fonky
    I agree with you there, but I did not go gaga over Johnny Depp, just admired Orlando Bloom, despite his dull acting there. Maybe it's because I keep stereotyping him as Legolas.

  • Way2fonky

    Posted Nov 14, 2009 12:24 am PT

    I agree with frazzle00 and TheSopranosFan, the Pirates movies are a bit overrated. Women just go gaga over Johnny Depp.

    No Depp = far less appeal for the casual crowd, which is where most of the market comes from.

  • SHERNEE

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 11:25 pm PT

    Hmm looks like good stuff. Jakes looks very Arabicesque lol.

  • Revolution316

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 10:39 pm PT

    i hope this inspires ubi to continue the sands of time series and ditch the horrible new pop game sucked big time

  • georgeorjose

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 10:09 pm PT

    hope its a good movie

  • dirty01

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 8:48 pm PT

    Awesome

  • ZeroXraven

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 7:43 pm PT

    It could truly end up being an AMAZING movie, even then, I doubt it will have even close to the amount of predicted success these people claim....it's laughable haha

    Most of the best movies never do good in the box office....case and point

  • megamega777

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 7:42 pm PT

    hope it is as good as the pirates series

  • Cricket_Sloat

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 4:34 pm PT

    i just hope they dont make a loz movie, i dont want them to ruin the series for me

  • macca366

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 4:23 pm PT

    Yeah yeah cool... Just keep making Beyond Good And Evil 2 please

  • X-RS

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 3:41 pm PT

    granted capnjack/depp was the main reason. but jack was made in the movie, not in previous media. so i dont think saying no depp no money is a fair conclusion. unfortunately i havents seen the trailer (dial-up) but i can envision jake portaying a prince (like the 08 prince) easily and well, which is probably the type filmmakers want.
    not our god of battle from ww. which should all be cg if thats flicked.

  • frazzle00

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 3:37 pm PT

    I honestly didn't think that the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy was anything special. The latter 2 sequels were especially average. The PoP movie doesn't really have to be all that great to be on par with or even exceed the PotC films. As to the commercial success of the potential franchise. I don't really know and I don't really care. As long as I get more PoP games I'm happy .

  • SopranosFan

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 2:44 pm PT

    I have to agree Johny Depp pretty much made the money on those movies. He is the rare actor that the women love for his looks and the guys think he would be a cool guy to party with. Gillenhall on the other hand doesn't have as much appeal to the women and I don't see many guys wanting to hang out with him.

  • Sannom

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 1:36 pm PT

    @ mopeyking :

    you gotta admit, they pretty much follow the games on that point : the Prince, and the other Persian characters for that matter, are light skinned while Farah and the Indian characters are darker.

    Despite having the name Sands of Time in its title, this game is mostly influenced by the third game : the weird chain used as a weapon, the CGI for the Sands remind of the effect that chain made on the Prince, even the general design for the Prince is reminisent of the third game.

  • Alter_Echo

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 1:25 pm PT

    Im not sure how a Professional figure in the industry could be that immensely misinformed. Who is lying to these people? Who is gathering this information? If they drive the press and advertising into the ground before release it MIGHT make 100-150 million. Expecting anything more than that is delusional.

  • Zidaneski

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 1:06 pm PT

    Why does everything always have to involve trilogies, ugh. I'll probably like this movie but why should I watch it 3 times? The first Pirate movie was cool but then the next 2 just had to do with Johnny Depp insanity. Plus the next two Prince games were rated M. I doubt Hollywood would add a whole bunch of gore to the next films to make it R. That's fine with me keeping it PG-13 but I'm not so sure eveyone else would like that.

  • rando22

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 12:52 pm PT

    hope it does well, also looking forward to the Bioshock movie

  • senseless_dj

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 12:17 pm PT

    Trailer looks cool...i think its gonna rock...

  • terror_ninja

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 11:45 am PT

    Yay for Ubisfot, I dont think I actually played the sands of time so it will be cool to watch the movie of it because I wont get so angry if teh story differs a little bit.

  • JoshZA

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 11:07 am PT

    Bruckheimer better make sure he doesn't give one of the best ubisoft franchises a bad name. This movie is gonna have to be better than all three games put together

  • mopeyking

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 10:14 am PT

    Thought this movie is supposed to be prince of Persia not prince of Caucasia...

  • peterz0306

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 10:11 am PT

    In 2:31 they showed all the film...

  • XanderKage

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 9:54 am PT

    When will Hollywood learn...

  • chandu83

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 9:46 am PT

    Oh those witty comments, and a cute love story, you got to love hollywood.

  • FF_fan2004

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 9:28 am PT

    No! No,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no! Films based on video games, no! It never works.

  • TreFacTor

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 9:19 am PT

    The CEO of UBI is delusional, he is more interested in making movies than games and the direction of most of their franchises reflect this. After fans of the series finish berating this movie, no one will want to see it, come on Disney... really?! BTW, I concur.... no JD, no 2.7 billion.

  • Stec13

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 9:08 am PT

    No Johnny Depp NO 2.7 billion! One of the main reasons the Pirates movies done so well was because of Depp and it had more of an entire family appeal than this Prince of Persia trilogy will. I am excited to see it but those predictions are ludicrous!

  • Yojimbo25

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 9:04 am PT

    Thats a crazy thing to say.

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