The first trailer for Gore Verbinksi‘s new animated movie Rango has been released online. The movie features Johnny Depp in the lead role, a lizard named Rango who’s struggling with an identity crisis.

This is just a teaser trailer, but you’ll get a good feel of the movie. The animation is solid and you’ll hear a little of the not-so-Johnny-Depp-sounding lizard.

The thing that will really stand out to some fans is the nod to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and the famed author Hunter S. Thompson. Depp played a Thompson-esq character in Fear and Loathing, and will again in the upcoming book adaptation, The Rum Diaries.

Find yourself and head on over to the other side to check out the first teaser trailer for Rango.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Directed by Mike Newell
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina
Rated PG-13
Release date: May 28, 2010

Quick, name me a good movie based on a video game. Okay, we all know the cliché that there are no good movies based on video games (Resident Evil and its sequels may be the exception to that rule), but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible, or that Hollywood is going to stop trying. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, is just the latest attempt to translate a popular video game series into a film, and it largely succeeds in capturing what makes the game fun, and turning it into a fun action-adventure movie.

Jake Gyllenhaal plays Dastan, an orphan boy who is adopted by the king of Persia and grows up to be a somewhat roguish but loving son. He and his older brothers attack a holy city after evidence arises that the city is supplying enemies of Persia with weapons (the first of many questionable modern world allusions). As it turns out, the city isn’t really making weapons, but they do have one weapon of possible mass destruction, in the form of a dagger that can turn back time for its user. Dastan comes into possession of the dagger, and is forced to use it after he is framed for the murder of his adopted father. Tagging along with him is Tamina (Gemma Arterton), the princess of the holy city, and the latest in a line of guardians of the dagger. Dastan and Tamina must stop evil forces from trying to use the dagger for their own dastardly plans, while also trying to clear Dastan’s name.

The Walt Disney Company held multiple movie panels yesterday at WonderCon 2010 in San Francisco, CA, one of which was for The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. The film is directed by John Turteltaub, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, and stars Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Monica Belucci, and Alfred Molina.

Many were pulling double-duty as Bruckheimer was there for both Persia and Apprentice (both of which also star Molina), and Cage, who was there for this and the big draw of the convention, Kick-Ass.

Much like Disney’s other panel, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, this panel showed off a couple of new scenes before jumping into a Q&A session with Baruchel, Cage, Bruckeheimer, and actress Teresa Palmer. See below for our description of the footage.

One thing I personally had absolutely zero clue about, was that this movie is actually based (very loosely) on the segment from the classic (and trippy) Disney animated film, Fantasia. With Fantasia being based on the 1797 poem, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, it all makes sense. The circle of cinematic life.

Walt Disney Pictures has been busy today, releasing a poster and image from Tron: Legacy, and also unveiling this brand new trailer for The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Not too much was known about the project aside from the fact that it was directed by Jon Turteltaub and starred Nicolas Cage and Jay Baruchel as a Sorcerer and his confused and reluctant apprentice.

Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, you can see the effects shining in this trailer. Actually, if you had to compare this with Bruckheimer’s other recent blockbuster trailer for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, it would be hard not to say that The Sorcerer’s Apprentice looks like it has a lot more promise and some really fun special effects. Cage does a lot of questionable movies these days, but every once in a while, he’s in one that ends up being a pretty good time. Some would say National Treasure was one, we know Kick-Ass will be one, and this now has a chance to become one.

Click on over to the other side to read a synopsis and to watch the entertaining trailer for The Sorcerer’s Apprentice! Head over to Apple for the HD version.

Update: It seems like all Prince of Persia trailers were released at the same time, including International trailers. As it turns out, one of these International trailers was a little better than the trailer we got, so you can now see that below as well!

It’s been a long time coming, but the first official movie trailer for Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer‘s video game adaptation Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time has been unveiled by MySpace.

The trailer certainly makes its intents known immediately, and it’s pretty clear that movie-goers are either going to love it or hate it passionately. What really stands out is the visuals, which are without doubt very beautifully done. The big concern lies within the cast, which started the very moment that Jake Gyllenhaal was cast as a Persian prince. This now has secondary concerns attached to it because Jake is also going to be attempting an accent, as you’ll be able to tell, and also because it appears that he and his co-star Gemma Arterton don’t look like they have very convincing chemistry together. With a supporting cast that includes Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina, there is hope that these things can be overlooked, but Prince of Persia has a little mountain to climb if it wants to start winning our hearts and wallets.

Click on over to see the trailer for yourself and share with us your thoughts on the potential of this movie — a movie whose producers hope it will become a new mega-franchise similar to another franchise that they have: Pirates of the Caribbean.