Jake Gyllenhaal Returns To Blockbusters With Video Game Adaptation 'The Division'

Following the embarrassing flop of “Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time,” Jake Gyllenhaal spent the next half decade and more making a conscious decision to choose art over commerce. He revitalized his career working with directors like Denis Villeneuve, Duncan Jones, Jean-Marc Vallee, David Ayer, and Tom Ford, and is currently making a film with Bong Joon-Ho. But I suppose doing those kinds of movies doesn’t always pay the bills, and now he’s going to try his hand at another video game adaptation.

READ MORE: Jake Gyllenhaal And Denis Villeneuve Reteam For Crime Drama ‘The Son’

Gyllenhaal has signed up to star in and produce “The Division,” based on the game from Ubisoft, the company that’s also behind the upcoming Michael Fassbender vehicle, “Assassin’s Creed.” In the game, you play as an agent from the titular organization who has to help bring Manhattan back to order after the outbreak of a mysterious virus. So basically, a way more action packed “Contagion“? Guess we’ll see. Right now the hunt is on for a writer to get a script together, so this is probably a long way off anyway.

I’m generally not so excited for Gyllenhaal in blockbuster mode, but hopefully as a producer on the movie, he’ll have some creative input. We’ll next see the actor this fall in Ford’s awards season contender, “Nocturnal Animals.” [Variety]