This is not a drill, people. It has been officially announced that The Legend of Zelda has entered into production for a live-action adaptation.
Of course, this is not the first time we have discussed a potential Zelda film. And the prospect of my favorite video game franchise coming to cinemas is both exciting and terrifying.
Because, as we’ve seen in many examples, going from video game to film is not always an easy task.
Where franchises like The Last Of Us or The Witcher are fairly easy to see making the transition, it took Super Mario Bros. and Sonic the Hedgehog over thirty five years to get a proper film adaptation.
The Legend of Zelda may not be the easiest franchise to adapt, and I’m very anxious thinking about what direction they will go with the film.
The Legend of Zelda Film Adaptation
Of course, there have been tons of Zelda movie rumors over the past year, following the massive success of the Illumination production for the Super Mario Bros. Movie. Most rumors pointed to an Illumination style animated Zelda film.
We didn’t like the sound of this at all. Many were campaigning for Studio Ghibli to officially take on the difficult task. As a proof of concept, we were quite fond of the aesthetic of the recent Fan Makes Zelda / Studio Ghibli Mashup.
Young Link, and especially the unique story of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, would lend itself well to a Ghibli style animated film.
But we can hope and dream all we’d like, because we now know that Nintendo has officially opted for a live-action adaptation.
The official press release from Nintendo has indicated that the project will be led by Zelda’s creator Shigeru Miyamoto. Hopefully we do not have to justify Miyamoto’s stock in the video game world. He is a true living legend.
And Nintendo has enlisted the expertise of long time film producer Avi Arad, who you would know as the producer of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Uncharted, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Ghost in the Shell, and Iron Man. Just to name a few. So clearly he has some experience in bringing beloved fictional characters to life.
The director for the film is Wes Ball, who most notably directed the Maze Runner films. These were great films, indeed. But his short list of directorial work scares us a bit. This is certainly a big step up for Mr. Ball.
The press release does indicate that this is intended to be a live-action film set for worldwide theater release.
Obviously, they just started the production, so we’re at least two years out from a release. So don’t buy your popcorn just yet.
Impressions
A Zelda movie had to happen one day. You can’t release a massive hit like The Super Mario Bros. Movie and not follow it up with another Nintendo franchise.
I kind of wish we just leave Zelda as it is and never make an adaptation. But it’s happening whether we want it to or not.
I have all the faith in the world in a team like Miyamoto and Arad. If you look at the current Spider-Man films as an example of what’s possible, you can certainly take a character known for wearing spandex and make some truly compelling content.
So can we hopefully expect a worthy adaptation of our beloved Link and Zelda on the big screen sometime in 2025ish.
I have $50 on Tom Holland being the main star of the film, just like the rumours suggested years ago.
