Nintendo is officially bringing the Legend of Zelda to the big screen. What can fans expect from Link’s first-ever live-action adventure?
The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo’s longest-running and most popular video game franchises. The latest entry in the canon, 2023’s Tears of the Kingdom, sold over 10 million copies after only three days on shelves.
These sales figures, coupled with the box office-busting success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, left many fans convinced a cinematic adaptation was on the horizon.
However, their hopes were seemingly dashed in June 2023, after Super Mario Bros. Movie producer Chris Meledandri shot down rumors that an animated Legend of Zelda film was in development.
Fortunately for the franchise’s devotees, this wasn’t the end of the story, and Legend of Zelda co-creator Shigeru Miyamoto announced on X in November 2023 that Nintendo is partnering with Arad Productions and Sony Pictures to produce a live-action Legend of Zelda movie.
Nintendo followed up Miyamoto’s initial announcement with a blog post filled with additional details about the project, and even more information has surfaced online since then.
So, read on to learn everything we know about the Legend of Zelda movie.
Is there a Legend of Zelda movie release date?
The Legend of Zelda movie doesn’t have a release date yet.
However, during their November 6, 2024 financial report, Nintendo confirmed that they aim to release the live-action Zelda adventure between 2025 and 2029.
While Miyamoto confirmed that he and producer Avi Arad have been working on the project for “many years” at this point, he was also quick to clarify that the live-action Legend of Zelda movie has only just entered development.
As such, it’s reasonable to assume that the Legend of Zelda is still in the early stages of pre-production, and cameras aren’t likely to roll anytime soon.
Who could be in the live-action Legend of Zelda movie’s cast
For now, no actors are officially attached to the project – which is unsurprising, given development on the film has only just kicked off.
That said, the lack of genuine intel hasn’t stopped fans from proposing candidates for the live-action Legend of Zelda’s key roles.
Notably, Tom Holland has been bandied about as a contender for the role of protagonist Link. He previously collaborated with producer Avi Arad on both the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Spider-Man trilogy and the 2022 Uncharted adaptation.
Meanwhile, both Saoirse Ronan and Hunter Schafer are among fans’ top choices to play Princess Zelda. Schafer, an admitted fan of the Zelda games, said it would be “so cool” to play the titular princess in response to fan casting calls.
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Actor Patricia Summersett voiced Zelda in the franchise’s most recent video games, however, there’s no indication that she will be invited to reprise the role in live-action, and consensus among the fanbase is that she will be recast with a more famous actor.
Speaking of famous actors, the Legend of Zelda faithfuls have also been vocal about which Hollywood A-lister they don’t want to appear in Link’s cinematic debut: Chris Pratt. Pratt’s casting in The Super Mario Bros. Movie remains controversial to this day, and the Guardians of the Galaxy and Parks and Recreation star’s detractors are keen for him to sit out Nintendo’s next movie.
This space will be updated with any new casting updates.
Who is writing and directing the Legend of Zelda movie?
Director Wes Ball will helm the Legend of Zelda live-action movie. His previous credits include the Maze Runner trilogy, as well as the most recent Planet of the Apes film, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
Prior to establishing himself as a director, Ball worked as a VFX artist, and this familiarity with CGI is presumably part of the reason why Nintendo hired him for what is likely to be an effects-heavy production.
Ball will reportedly work from a script penned by Jurassic World screenwriter Derek Connolly. Nintendo’s blog post also emphasizes that the video game company will be “deeply involved” in shaping the live-action Legend of Zelda adaptation, which suggests that both Ball and Connolly will receive plenty of notes from Miyamoto and other senior Nintendo executives as they hammer out the story.
Legend of Zelda movie plot: What will it be about?
Nintendo hasn’t shared any details about the Legend of Zelda movie’s plot.
As such, it’s unclear whether the film will serve as a direct retelling of one or more previous entries in the video game canon, or tell an entirely new story inspired by the franchise’s characters and world.
Even so, previous comments by Miyamoto indicate the latter scenario is more likely than the former, as the legendary game designer isn’t big on literal video game adaptations. “Just following the plot points of the video games will never work as a movie,”
Miyamoto said in an April 2023 interview. “Without the involvement of the player, it won’t meet expectations.”
We’ll keep this space updated with plot details when they arrive.
Does the live-action Legend of Zelda movie have a trailer yet?
With no Legend of Zelda movie cast members currently in place, it shouldn’t come as a shock that the video game adaptation doesn’t yet have a trailer.
There’s no word from Nintendo or Sony Pictures regarding when fans will get their first glimpse at the live-action version of Hyrule and its inhabitants, but it’s probably a while off.
Production of the film only officially got underway in November 2023, and shooting hasn’t even started. So, don’t expect to see a trailer until 2025 at the earliest.
