Parkour creator trains Jake Gyllenhaal for Prince of Persia

In preparation for the most anticipated action-adventure film of Walt Disney Pictures International adapted from a video game Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Jake Gyllenhaal who was chosen to play the role of Dastan, who was a street urchin in the Persian Empire during the sixth century and adopted by the king where he gains the title the Prince of Persia.

Like in the movie, Gyllenhaal character is athletic type and needs to jump from walls to walls and buildings to building, with this requirement film producer Jerry Bruckheimer asked David Belle the creator of parkour or l'art du déplacement, a French term that means the art of movement which requires acrobatic skills and proper balance discipline when jumping and climbing high walls and long and hard obstacles.

In the story according to the Prince of Persia director Mike Newell he says that Gyllenhaal needs to jump from high walls and jump from roofs like what his character do in video games which they will be adapting in the movie. “To make it simple, parkour is a training method that allows a person to develop their physique so that they can overcome obstacles. The more you train, the faster and more efficient you become. When training, you can create a wide range of movements. These movements help you to get through difficult passageways, between buildings and over rooftops. It’s a different way to learn to move your body.” Belle explains how parkour is done and he saw how Gyllenhaal participate well in their training. “I’ve seen his work, his movements in various scenes, and I have no doubt”, Belle added.

“It was all about functional fitness, being able to do everything that was asked of me. So I got into the best shape I could, with a whole lot of running, parkour training, weight-lifting and horseback-riding.” Gyllenhaal explains his preparation on the said training that requires diet and health discipline. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time will be showing in all theaters nationwide beginning May 27, distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International.

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