Kotaku
IESB.net has gotten their hands on a the results of a worldwide casting survey performed for the role of Prince Dastan in Jerry Bruckheimer's upcoming Prince of Persia movie, and from the questions asked and the audience reaction it certainly looks like there is a clear front runner. Both international and U.S. audiences overwhelmingly favored David K. Zandi, motion picture executive, actor, champion equestrian, model, and honest to goodness Persian prince. One of the last male members of the Zand dynasty (1747 - 1779), David has also studied both fencing and Roman sword fighting in England, so the only way he could be better suited for the role is if he actually possessed control of the Sands of Time, which I am not completely ruling out at this point. Zandi beat out the likes of Cilian Murphy, Orlando Bloom, and Zac Efron in the audience poll, conducted between January 2005 and June 2007. Hit up the link for a complete rundown of the audience poll results.
Persian Prince Favored For Prince Of Persia Role
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Haha, awesome.
@kylenalepa: Lol. That IS awesome.
Those actors seem to indicate a highly feminine audience poll.
well... maybe Zac Efron can play a Persian person in a different movie.
He beat out Zac Efron? Maybe there is a God after all... Who else got nominated? let's see... Oh. Oh wow. Now I'm convinced there *is* a God.
@jarjarwang: Maybe Zac Efron can go play a character that falls into a ditch and dies slowly and painfully. Hopefully it can be a snuff film.
Orlando Blood?
Seriously, I hope that's not a typo. That ranks as one of the manliest names ever conceived. Right up there with Staff Sgt. Max Fightmaster and Stirling Mortlock.
Don't forget his final credintial; he looks remarkably similar to Orlando Bloom, which if you consider the ladies, will equal many purchased tickets. This guy is a shoo-in.
Meh. He was lucky that I didn't participate in the competition.
He he he.
lol.. Orlando "Blood"
Imagine the interview process,
"How do you feel qualified"?
"Dude, I'm a fucking prince... And I'm Persian."
Win.
@Nac: Pecks Rockhard? Rocky McChesterflex?
Man, voting the Prince of Persia as the Prince of Persia is just unoriginal. They should have gone with Crecente. I mean, based on that picture, they even kind of look the same.
@Nac: Sadly, it is a typo. The chart says bloom.
@elsilento: He won by default.
I think im gonna have nightmares about that face...
Let's be honest, a stick figure hand drawn into each frame of the film would be better than Cillian Murphy, Orlando Bloom or Zac Efron.
@jarjarwang:
Or maybe he could be killed by the sands in this one.
I honestly would have like to have seen Oded Fehr as the prince of persia. The way he looks in the Mummy movies just screams PoP to me.
@photoboy: Cillian Murphy is a fantastic actor.
Not sure how they'd manage turning him into a persian warrior though.
They actually where considering Zac Efron.
What. The. Fuck.
LOL. a Persian prince plays the roll of a Persian price. nice one.
Staring the Prince of Persia as himself...
Smack the bitch(es) who even considered Zac Efron. What is he, like, 5?
Can he freerun? I mean, he looks the part, but can he freerun?
That's cool.
I've said it before, I'll say it again: David Belle, the inventor of Parkour (which heavily inspired the Prince's movements in Sands of Time) would not only make a great Prince, but might look quite similar to him if he grew out his hair.
+ Watch video
Just once I would like for the creators of a videogame movie to actually consider the game and the opinions of the gamers who played it. Zac Effron? No. Just...NO.
@jarjarwang: he is going to play Light Yagami in the american version of Death Note
god. those disney kids and 60 year old men really wanted efron.
@Klaymen:
I get what you're saying.
But dude.
The guy who won
is a PRINCE
of PERSIA.
The question is... can the guy act? If he can't act then wtf is the point? Unless they plan on making another game to movie remake with horrible acting (Mortal Kombat)
@T3kNi9e: he is an ACTOR, read again
He looks like he'd do a good job.
If the movie does well they might make a second, but NEVER A THIRD!
@T3kNi9e: Mortal Kombat was fucking awesome. The crap that came out as Mortal Kombat Annihilation is what sucked ass.
@tme2nsb: And I even own the movie poster to both too..
He's a Prince of Iran. Persia is so pre-World War 2, thus quite lame.
if this guy got cast as the Prince it would be one of the few right casting decisions Hollywood has ever made.
Now I ain't gay by any stretch of the imagination but, damn, he's dreamy!
I'd go to see a film with this guy, especially if that film was Prince of Persia. Because you know all the awesome free press the movie would get: "Prince of Persia set to play Prince of Persia!" So if the movie turned out to be good, and a wider audience was aware of it/went to see it, why, that'd be like...one good videogame-based movie under our belts! A win for everyone!
Also, Klaymen, that parkour video was awesome. I just found out last week that one of my co-workers does parkour. And to think, six months ago, I didn't know what the heck parkour was, and first heard of it, ironically, from a Kotaku article. The more you know~!
Jesus H. Christ kicking Ash in the Poke-Balls! ... If he doesn't get the part, I'm going to have to give up gaming, watching game movies, reading game books, watching movies that have game tie-ins, reading books that have been made into games, and THINKING about games.
... I'm going to need a lobotomy. So please pick the Persian Prince.
@Klaymen: Although someone who does Parkour would make a great stuntman.
Wow, I might actually go see this.
Bad Ass.
Yeah, at least judging from his face, it would certainly fit the character.
Though I think that tattoed guy from the Mummy movie would be even better. But whatever...
Those swordfighting classes must constantly come in handy. Seriously, rich people need better things to do with their time and money.
The only other guy I could think of as appropriate for the role was that large middle-eastern (or hispanic, I have no idea) guy from the Mummy/Deuce Bigalow.
Orlando Bloom actually wouldn't be so bad since he does do these types of movies and is a pretty good actor. He could even look a bit like the prince with some changes. This Persian guy is definitely a better choice though. Hopefully he's actually a good actor.
Not a bad pic. He looks manly, but still pretty enough to get the female crowd or whatever... I dunno. I'm just pretending to sound like I know what I'm talking about.
Kewl
Sigh @ an answer choice for Question 4.
Part of me dies every time I see the phrase, "I could care less." They should provide a graph of how many people correctly identify the phrase as "I could NOT care less" - plot that versus those who don't take the time to think of how the incorrect statement doesn't say anything at all.
@Samos42:
yeah, but he's getting kinda typecasted as the swashbuckling adventure type.
Let's not put too much stock in this, really. If you look at his IMDb message board, you'll notice that there have been a few polls for this guy for previous movies that he's apparently excelled at. A character in Eragon, as Xerxes in 300, etc. He knocked those surveys out of the park, too.
In fact, I've never actually SEEN one of these surveys, but somehow there are three contributed to this guy. While I agree that he looks the part, I'm wondering how legitimate these surveys actually are (since the ones in which he participates he can't seem to lose.)
@greygecko: Hayden Christensen is an ACTOR, but that doesn't especially mean he's any GOOD at it. Just because this guy has acted in commercials or done a couple stage plays or whatnot doesn't actually mean he's an accomplished actor. Hell even in the poll people said they didn't give a shit if he could act which is a total failure in its own right. They only want him in there because he looks just like the character.
Just because someone looks the part or the fact that "they really are a Prince of Persia" doesn't mean they'd be able to act their way out of a paperbag.
I'm also thinking about how big this guys ego is. "No I am a REAL prince of Persia! Why should I have to do all this work? I'm fucking royalty, you need ME!" "OKay the prince has been working for 4 hours now, he needs his beauty sleep and his royal penis washed, we'll take 30 to rest". Yeah...I'm not saying that's the case, but how much pampering is a REAL persian prince going to need?
that picture looks realllllllly fake
Whoa, Zack Efron actually got considered for the role?! I'm glad he lost.
On topic, I would've loved seeing Cillian Murphy play the prince... but that persian prince they chose really seems a lock for the role.
He looks damn near perfect for the character. I do have a sentimental attachment to the guy from The Mummy, but I think he may be a bit too old for the part. Orlando would also have been a good choice. May the Gods of Gaming strike down whoever though of Zach Efron... what a ridiculous fucking nomination.
Now if only he'd cut his Fabio hair, I'd be all for the guy.
Seriously, I think people stopped growing their hair that long when Whitesnake broke up.
Crecente for the role!!!
now we need to have this movie in Persian dialect with english subs and you have me sold.
'scuse my fangirling, but.... DAMN. :o
You know, If Mr. Crecente got the makeup on and a pho-shop here and there; he could definitely pass for this heir.
Where was I when this poll was conducted? Sheesh. I tell you, one bad show on MTV and stardome goes right out the door.
@Torgen thinks AAA means "Costs $60": FLINT CHESTHAIR. BLAST HARDCHEESE. BUTCH DEADLIFT. BULK VAN DER HUGE. THICK MCRUNFAST. PUNCH ROCK GROIN. RIP STEAKFACE-
...yes he looks very... very... princely... *ahem*
That's...! He's...!
THAT'S THE PRINCE! That's him! Look at him!
@Komrade_Kayce:
Definitely noted. I do appreciate the surprising accuracy of that, but here's hoping he can move like the Prince. That picture up there leads me to believe he would be great at standing around with a fan aimed at his flowing locks of hair, but not so great at running off a wall, jumping off a tiny beam, and sliding down to ground level using a knife and giant red curtain.
But, who's to say. With his impressive collection of skill, I'm definitely not ruling that out.
Zac Effron would be my second choice because, before they hired someone actually suited for the job, I'm sure we'd be able to at least get a DVD extra where he slips on a wall, hits a tiny beam, and then claws at a giant red curtain as he falls from a perilous height.