The Legend of Zelda is getting a live-action version. After years of rumors, Nintendo has finally confirmed that it is working on a film set in the enchanted land of Hyrule, co-produced by the gaming giant and Avi Arad, who is behind the recent film. Spider-Man spin-off films. Wes Ball – best known for the Maze Runner trilogy – has been attached to direct, which has not been well received by fans of the franchise. Of course, Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto is deeply involved in the project as a producer, just as he was for The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
‘This is Miyamoto. I have been working on the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda for many years with Avi Arad-san, who has produced many mega-hit films,” Miyamoto said in the announcement tweet. “It will take some time to complete, but I hope you’re looking forward to it.”
This is Miyamoto. I have been working for many years on the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda with Avi Arad-san, who has produced many mega-hit films. [1]
— 任天堂株式会社 (@Nintendo) November 7, 2023
Nintendo confirmed earlier this year its plans to turn the gaming company into an entertainment empire by slowly moving into theme parks and movies. They’ve both done well, with the Illumination-produced The Super Mario Bros. Movie has grossed $1.36 billion (approximately Rs. 11,324 crore) and ranks second among the biggest films this year. That’s a huge feat, considering the film ruffled fans’ feathers before its release for casting Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy) as the titular plumber Mario.
Because The Legend of Zelda is a live-action production, Nintendo is teaming up with Sony Pictures Entertainment to direct the film, with the former providing more than 50 percent of the financing. Currently there is no logline for the film, but we can assume that it will follow the dangerous adventures of the young warrior Link as he is tasked with saving the kingdom of Hyrule and its princess Zelda by defeating the evil King Ganon. The decades-spanning game series is packed with ancient dungeons and puzzles to solve, but has moved into open-world territory in recent years, allowing players to explore the entire realm at their own pace. 2018’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was the first to do it, and it was later expanded in Tears of the Kingdom with special abilities that let you build machines and an entire Sky Island map section to explore. They are both considered some of the best video games ever made.
Director Ball will also helm Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, set for release on May 24, 2024, in which a wild young woman (Freya Allan) and an ape Cornelius (Owen Teague) embark on a spiritual journey in search of to freedom from the rule of chimpanzee king Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand) – who took up the mantle after Caesar’s death and perverted his teachings. While fans are still longing for the Zelda If the film becomes an animated version, it must mean a lot to Ball, who expressed interest in seeing a Zelda movie in 2010. At the time, he also hoped it would be a mocap film, similar to James Cameron’s Avatar. In 2015, Netflix even tried to develop an animated series based on Zelda, but that never worked out.
Currently, the live-action film The Legend of Zelda does not have a release date.