It looks like Mario isn’t the only Nintendo superstar to have their time in the limelight. Confirmed by Nintendo of Japan, alongside Miyamoto himself, a live-action film based on the Legend of Zelda series is officially in the works.
While details are still fairly sparse, there is plenty to be excited about from the start. Knowing that Nintendo mastermind Shigeru Miyamoto has been working side by side with film industry veteran Avi Arad to create and bring the world of Hyrule to life in a new experience for fans is music to my ears. Alongside these details, it has also been confirmed that the film is co-financed by both Nintendo and Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., with Nintendo financing more than 50% of the film’s production cycle.
The Legend of Zelda live-action film will be brought to life by director Wes Ball, whose work can be seen in the upcoming Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. No other information has been shared regarding actors that will be reprising the roles of Link, Zelda, or any other member of the typical LoZ template. Which version of Hyrule will be present is also currently unknown, alongside details on where this will fall in the Zelda timeline.
As more details continue to come down the pipeline and production is just beginning, it may be a few years before we finally see Link and company make their way to the big screen, but this Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. distributed film will likely bring a tear to many Nintendo fans’ eyes once it finally releases. While it may be shocking to see the decision to go the Live Action route compared to animated, we can only start putting together our dream casts and speculate who is going to be the first person to don the iconic green garb of this hero on the screen.
