Jake Gyllenhaal says that while there were many challenges about filming Prince of Persia, like the desert heat, and learning Parkour, and gladiator-style fighting, his greatest fear was facing down the killer ostriches:
"There is a not a CGI ostrich in this movie. They are all real
ostriches. Highly paid. We were all briefed for weeks before; that
they're these massive destructive creatures who can tear your heart out
with their claw. I swear to god, I was shaking in my boots. I walked up
and the stuntman was in the ring with them and finally I was like 'When
am I going be in a f**king cage with ostriches again in my life? I've
got to get in there!' And so I got in there and they were the sweetest
things. But every day is like that. You get in there and you do it and
there's an experience I'll never be able to have again. Well, hopefully
the ostriches will come back again either in re-shoots or hopefully in
the second one. But that sort of sums it up."
