Nintendo Plans to Adapt the Cult Game "The Legend of Zelda" into a Movie

"Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" director Wes Ball is responsible for the production

by Jonas Reichel on November 8, 2023

Finally: Nintendo and Sony are giving the go-ahead for "The Legend of Zelda" movie and have already found a director for the project.

The Zelda games are still regarded as the most loved games ever and are enjoyed by millions of players. Accordingly, there is huge interest in a live-action adaptation of the action adventure. The announcement that a live-action film adaptation is now officially in the works is thus likely to be met with great enthusiasm by fans. As with "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," Nintendo will be the main producer and will provide over 50 percent of what could be a very big budget, according to initial reports. Alongside Nintendo, Sony is also involved in bringing the "Zelda" movie to theaters.

One producer will be Avi Arad, who not only founded Marvel Studios, but has also produced numerous Marvel films such as "Spider-Man." The film will be directed by Wes Ball, who rose to fame in Hollywood with his "The Maze Runner" movies and will also be responsible for "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" next year. The screenplay is being written by author Derek Connolly, who has already gained experience with video game adaptations thanks to "Pokemon: Detective Pikachu" and is also working on the as yet unrealized "Metal Gear Solid" film adaptation.

As the "Zelda" movie is still at a very early stage of development, it is not yet clear when the adventure will be released in cinemas. However, as the project will be a live-action adaptation, the question naturally arises as to which actors will portray the legendary main characters Link and Zelda.

Link in particular is difficult to pin down: his appearance, age and personality vary from game to game. What's more, he was always mute, allowing players to better identify with him. Nevertheless, various suggestions are already circulating on the net. They range from "Dune" star Timothée Chalamet to "Spider-Man" actor Tom Holland and Thomas Brodie-Sangster, who happens to have already worked with director Wes Ball on "The Maze Runner".

As for the cast of Zelda, the names of "Euphoria"'s Hunter Schafer, "The Queen's Gambit" leading actress Anya Taylor-Joy and Emma Watson are being discussed online.

This is, of course, mere speculation at the moment. The producers could also opt for rather unknown actors. At the same time, for such a big project, you certainly can't afford to miss out on some star power.

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