After years of hopes and months of rumors, Nintendo is finally making a live-action Legend of Zelda movie.
This news was shared today In an official post For Nintendo investors, with some details. Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto and Avi Arad, head of Arad Productions and former Marvel Studios founder and CEO, are producing the film.
Arad has gained fame as a producer of many successful films over the years, including Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Into the Spider-Verse, No Way Home, Far from Home and Homecoming. He has also worked on upcoming films including Kraven the Hunter and Borderlands.
The Maze Runner director Wes Paul is set to direct, and Sony Pictures Entertainment will co-finance the film with Nintendo and handle theatrical distribution. Deadline HollywoodMeanwhile, Jurassic World scribe Derek Connolly is reportedly penning the script.
Although the press release indicated that development is just beginning, Miyamoto noted in a Tweet/X post today that the project has been in the works in some form for “years now.”
A live-action Zelda movie is finally a reality
Earlier this year, there were rumors that a live-action Legend of Zelda movie was in the works, but that’s the word on the Hyrule street. Universal attendedOr Maybe the light, than Sony. The rumors were sparked by Tears of the Kingdom developers who revealed they were “interested” in making a Zelda movie after the success of The Super Mario Bros. movie earlier this year. However, as Eiji Aonuma said at the time, “Unfortunately I’m not the only one interested in doing things.” The Netflix series was reportedly canceled due to leaks on the internet.
I have asked Avi-san to produce this film with me and we have officially started the development of the film with Nintendo heavily involved in the production. It will take time to finish, but I hope you look forward to seeing it. [2]https://t.co/2H9lzzS5Pv
— Nintendo Co., Ltd. (@Nintendo) November 7, 2023
However, unlike the Mario movie, the Zelda movie is live-action, which means playing the characters of Link, Zelda, Kanon and others takes on a whole new dimension. While the Super Mario Bros. movie was well received, it was criticized before its release for the decision to cast Chris Pratt as Mario. A Zelda movie would presumably be subject to similar fan scrutiny – even if Link was a silent protagonist like in the games.
It’s unclear which Zelda story the film will explore
Fans have been speculating about the possibility of a Zelda movie for years, with more than a few dressing up and creating their own trailers. In 2008, we created our own vision of the live-action Legend of Zelda. At the time it was just an April Fool’s joke, but now that prophecy has seemingly come true.
It is unclear which Zelda story will be explored in this film adaptation or if a new Zelda story will be told instead. Nintendo may choose to explore the more recent and successful entries in the franchise by telling the story of Breath of the Wild, especially as it opens the door for a sequel to Tears of the Kingdom. One way or another, we’ll have to wait for updates from Nintendo.
Rebecca Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to [email protected].
