New gameplay and plot details for the recently announced new entry in Ubisoft's Prince of Persia series were unveiled in the latest issue of French magazine Joypad.

The game is said to create a more fantasy-like game and to bring a poetic vision to the series over the previous Sands of Time trilogy, with which the new title shares no direct connection. The title's cel-shaded visual styling and revamped gameplay scheme were adjusted according to this presentational revision.

"The previous trilogy mixed the Arabian Nights in with historical Persia," said creative director Jean-Christophe Guyot in a Eurogamer translation. "We decided we'd prefer to return to the tales of the Thousand and One Nights for something more colourful."

Guyot added that the game is "Zelda-esque, old school, with very contrasting levels," set against the plot of a cursed land that must be healed by defeating boss guardians. Much like Okami, defeating the bosses will transform the world in... Read more

The next entry in the Prince of Persia franchise will arrive on PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo DS this holiday season, publisher Ubisoft has revealed.

According to the company, the title "is poised to rejuvenate the action-adventure genre in addition to introducing a brand-new illustrative art style."

It is being developed at Ubisoft Montreal, which was responsible for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (PC, PS2, Xbox, GCN, GBA) as well as the more recent Assassin's Creed (PC, PS3, X360, NDS).

Though series creator Jordan Mechner recently filed a trademark for "Prince of Persia Prodigy," no specific title was listed in today's announcement.

Ubisoft had previously mentioned the existence of a new Prince of Persia game in its financial documents, though nothing beyond a vague release timeframe was provided at that time.

Trademork reports that Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner has filed a trademark for Prince of Persia Prodigy, suggesting that the new Prince of Persia game due by March 2009 may carry that title.

Though the unnamed Mechner-written Prince of Persia film is currently in pre-production, the details of the trademark application indicate that the phrase only applies to "game software and electronic game programs."

Publisher Ubisoft has remained rather silent about the next Prince of Persia game. No platforms have been confirmed, with the company only noting that the title should arrive by the end of its current fiscal year.

Originally released on the Apple II, the platforming series was eventually reimagined by Ubisoft Montreal through a trilogy of releases for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube, with the latter title ported to the Wii and PSP as well.

A downloadable 2D remake of the original game was released via the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade last year.

Update: ComingSoon.net has word from Disney, which claims there is no truth to the rumor of Bloom starring as the Prince.

Original story: According to movie site Hollywood.com, actor Orlando Bloom (caricatured left) has been tapped to play the lead role in the upcoming film adaptation of Jordan Mechner's classic Prince of Persia series.

The English-born Bloom's previous credits include the Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean film trilogies, as well as the epics Troy and Kingdom of Heaven.

"Call him 'professional dreamboat'," said Shacknews staffer Chris Faylor. "You have to."

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 summer. The script was written by Mechner, who created the Prince of Persia series for Broderbund in 1989.

The last release in the Prince of Persia series was a reimaginging of the original title on the Xbox Live Arcade platform. Ubisoft recently confirmed that development of a new Prince of Persia game is currently underway, aimed for release in Ubisoft's 2008 fiscal year which begins April 1, 2008 and ends March 31, 2009.

Publisher Ubisoft has confirmed that more titles in the Prince of Persia series are on the way along with a new Shaun White snowboarding game, though further details are slim.

In a financial statement released today, the company made a brief mention of the franchises, noting that both are expected to arrive within the next fiscal year, among others. Ubisoft's 2008 fiscal year begins April 1, 2008 and ends March 31, 2009.

The company also announced that its third-quarter sales surpassed its heightened expectations for that period, attributing the boost to the strong performance of Assassin's Creed (PS3, X360), Imagine: Babyz (NDS), Imagine: Animal Doctor (NDS), and other casual titles.

Using an exchange rate of 1.39069 USD to 1 EUR, the company reported sales of $625.81 million in the period between September 30, 2007 and... Read more

In an interview with entertainment industry site Collider, producer Jerry Bruckheimer revealed the movie adaptation of Jordan Mechner's Prince of Persia series might begin filming in June. This depends on whether the writer's strike has been mediated by the summer, Bruckheimer said.

"Well we're not going to film until June, so hopefully the writers will come to some kind of consensus with the studios and we can continue," the producer told Collider.

Bruckheimer also revealed no actors have been cast for the film, but reiterated his faith in newly appointed director Mike Newell, known for the Johnny Depp/Al Pacino gangster movie "Donnie Brasco" and other works.

"He's a very inventive, ingenious director, and I think he's going to bring something really special to it," Bruckheimer said. "We have a screenplay, we're just starting to develop."

Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire director Mike Newell is now likely to direct the upcoming Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time film, a role previously thought to be filled by acclaimed cinematic badass Michael Bay (Transformers, The Rock, Playboy Video Centerfold: Kerri Kendall).

Variety reports that Newell met with Disney last week to discuss the project, which is said to have "tentpole potential," and that talks regarding his involvement with the film should begin soon. Bay was originally considered a shoe-in to direct given his relationship with producer Jerry Bruckheimer (Flashdance, Beverly Hills Cop, Young Doctors in Love).

Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner wrote the initial draft of the screenplay, which was then revised by The Day After Tomorrow writer Jeffrey Nachmanoff.

"Rather than do a straight beat-for-beat adaptation of the new videogame, we're taking some cool elements from the game and using them to craft a new story--much as 'Pirates' did with the theme park ride," said Mechner when the film was first announced.

A few games for you to play over the holiday weekend, as Ubisoft has released free, full versions of four of their games. These are ad-supported though, so hopefully you dont mind seeing a few McDonalds ads. Head over to FileShack and download:

• Far Cry full game
• Rayman Raving Rabids full game
• Prince of Persia: Sands of Time full game
• Ghost Recon full game

While you are at it, you should check out the Command & Conquer Gold full game ISOs released by EA.

Director Michael Bay (pictured left) will helm the upcoming Jerry Bruckheimer-produced film adaptation of Ubisoft Montreal's 2003 game Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, movie news site IESB.net reports. The site claims to have confirmed with Walt Disney Studios that Bay is expected to direct, though the plan does not appear to be finalized.

Bay is currently directing the live-action Transformers film adaptation. If he does sign on for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, shooting will commence after Transformers wraps, with a release set for summer 2009. Action movie mega-producer Bruckheimer frequently calls on Bay to man the director's post in his films, with the pair having previously collaborated on Bad Boys, Bad Boys II, Armageddon, and Pearl Harbor.

Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner, who also wrote and designed the underappreciated 1997 nonlinear adventure game The Last Express and has written and directed several film documentaries, provided the first draft of the film's screenplay. Jeffrey Nachmanoff, a screenwriter on The Big Gig and The Day After Tomorrow, is handling further revisions. The film's story is said to be loosely based on the game's, retaining the elements of the evil vizier seeking to control the sands of time, and the presence of the princess-turned-sidekick Farah. When the film was first announced in 2004, Mechner commented, "Rather than do a straight beat-for-beat adaptation of the new videogame, we're taking some cool elements from the game and using them to craft a new story--much as 'Pirates' did with the theme park ride."

Last month, Disney released three pieces of concept art and a logo treatment for the film (linked below).

According to Australian publication Hyper, Australian actor Charlie Clausen has signed on to play the lead role of the Persian prince; Clausen is also listed in the film's IMDb entry. No casting information has been officially confirmed.

Over at GameCloud you can find a Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones Q&A. Ubisoft producer Ben Mattes is asked about the development team's main goals for the game, the Prince and Dark Prince characters, storyline, improved combat system, puzzles and graphics.

A new Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones video development diary is now available over at FileShack. The fifth installment focuses on the game's sound and music.

Two more Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones movies are now available, showing off more from Ubisoft's action/adventure game sequel. One movie shows some of the enemies you'll encounter while the other is a release trailer. Thanks 3D Gamers.

Ubisoft let us know that Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones has gone gold, ensuring that the game will be in stores December 1st as was announced earlier. The action adventure game sequel will carry an MSRP of $49.99. For more on the game check out our recent preview.

The Prince of Persia movies, they won't stop. Ubisoft sends along the latest video from The Two Thrones, this time focusing on Farah.

Yet another movie from Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones is now available on FileShack. This clip shows footage involving the Dark Prince character.

The latest Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones movie is now available, showing a minute of action packed gameplay footage, The game is due out soon on PC and console systems.

Both Game Informer and TotalVideoGames have new previews of Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones, going hands-on with a preview build of the game. The game is due December 1st.

This morning we have a preview of Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones for you. David offers an overview of Ubisoft's action/adventure game sequel by ways of an article format interview with producer Ben Mattes.

According to Mattes, "The Dark Prince is a 'corrupt' version of the Prince who has been infected by the Sands of Time." He's a manifestation of the darker traits of the prince, such as ruthlessness. And ruthless is something the Dark Prince can do very well. He is very violent, and takes a lot of pleasure in excessive brutality. The DP adds to the dynamic of the prince's character because though he is viewed as a separate entity, he is still the prince himself. The prince will have to learn to control his darker emotions, or else fall prey to them.
As different as they may be, Dark Prince and the Prince do share common goals: to discover the identity of whoever is responsible for attacking Babylon and stealing their throne. Dark Prince "will often provide the Prince with advice and direction, helping to keep him focused on the mission at hand."

IGN and 1UP both have new previews of Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones, taking a look at various aspects of Ubisoft's new action/adventure game sequel.

Over at Xbox Gamers you can find a very brief Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones Q&A. Questions are about the new moves, the Dark Prince, traps and puzzles.