British actress Gemma Arterton stole the spotlight from Hollywood stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Sir Ben Kingsley at the world premiere of Prince of Persia: The Sands Of Time.

Arterton, who plays the feisty Princess Tamina in the Disney blockbuster, made her grand entrance at Westfield London in a glittering Valentino gown, embroidered with beads.

“It’s nice to see a Disney princess that’s not a damsel in distress. She’s such a good role model for little girls who watch this,” said the 24-year-old on the red carpet.

Gyllenhaal got the biggest screams, as thousands of fans packed the shopping centre, which had been transformed to look like a Persian city, to catch a glimpse of the 29-year-old actor, who undertook a tough training regime to portray rogue prince Dastan and mark his debut as an action hero.

“It feels very good. I have to say I am enjoying myself,” he said.

The star of films such as Donnie Darko and Brokeback Mountain is getting used to the attention on his impressive physique.

“I don’t think I ever expected that much attention. I think it was more like I tried to train to be able to look like I was, the character in the video game, and that I was able to do the stunts that were asked of me,” he added.

Director Mike Newell was highly impressed with his talented leads.

“Jake was terrific. He worked so hard to make himself into Dastan. Gemma was adorable. When I first started working with her, she was 21 and three months out of drama school,” he revealed.

Set in the mystical lands of Persia, Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time, released on Friday May 21, is an epic action-adventure telling the story of Prince Dastan and Princess Tamina’s race against dark forces to protect an ancient dagger that can twist time.

Article by The Press Association.