Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time debuted a decade ago; will a sequel ever happen? Directed by Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral) and starring Jake Gyllenhaal - sporting a surprisingly believable British accent - the film was a fun romp. Albeit, one hampered by accusations of white-washing.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is adapted from the beloved Ubisoft video game franchise of the same name; generally a side-scrolling adventure that has appeared on every major gaming platform in various incarnations since 1989. Recently, new life has been breathed into the franchise with original creator Jordan Mechner wanting to create a new game, and there has been a DLC crossover with Ubisoft's For Honor series.
In 2010, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was optimistically seen as the beginning of a big-screen franchise for Disney, who were looking for their new Pirates of the Caribbean, a franchise that has grossed around $4.5 billion worldwide. They even went so far as placing an expensive ad at the Superbowl. So why has it been a decade without a Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time sequel and is one going to happen?
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Received Poor Reviews
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was described as "mildly entertaining and immediately forgettable" by Screen Rant upon release in 2010. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time didn't fare much better with other critics, currently sitting at 37% on Rotten Tomatoes. Although, audiences obviously responded a little better to it as its Audience rating is a more generous 58%. With those kind of stats, sadly, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is not crying out for a sequel. Whilst a sub-par first installment doesn't mean a sequel would automatically be bad, it does mean the studio may have less faith in financing one.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Didn't Make Enough Money
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was the highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time when released in 2010. The film ended up chugging along to $336 million worldwide, lurching ahead of previous box office champ Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time has since been dethroned by a plethora of movies, including Sonic the Hedgehog, and Pokémon: Detective Pikachu.
Without any title-holding pedigree behind it, what's left is the fact that Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time cost a whopping $200 million dollars to produce. Its marketing budget could have been as much as $100 million on top of that. In the eyes of a corporate behemoth like Disney, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time would have been viewed as a commercial failure.
A Prince Of Persia Sequel Probably Won't Happen
Bad reviews combined with a disappointing box office - in Disney's eyes - means a Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time sequel is unlikely. It's been ten years and lad Jake Gyllenhaal has most likely lost interest. If anything, audiences are more likely to see a reboot of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time rather than a sequel. Injected with some fresh blood and a smaller budget, the House of Mouse might be willing to give the franchise another stab.