Summary
- The Legend of Zelda video game franchise is being adapted into a live-action movie, with Nintendo announcing its official development.
- The movie will be produced by Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto and Avi Arad, directed by Wes Ball, and distributed by Sony.
- With a history spanning over 30 years and 20 main series games, this highly anticipated film brings excitement to fans of the beloved franchise.
A live-action Legend of Zelda movie is officially in development. The long-running Nintendo video game franchise first began in 1986 with the eponymous installment, and it has since released 20 games within the main series; the most recent title was this year's The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Now, live-action Zelda movie is officially in development. Produced by Avi Arad and Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto, the film will be directed by Wes Ball (The Maze Runner) and distributed by Sony, who will co-finance the movie with Nintendo. As Miyamoto said in a statement, "It will take time until its completion, but I hope you look forward to seeing it."
This Is The Perfect Time For A Zelda Movie
So far, few details about the live-action Legend of Zelda movie have been revealed, leaving elements such as casting and story details a mystery. It seems likely that the first game will form the basis of the movie, but there is a chance it could pull from a variety of titles. There is also a very good chance Sony and Nintendo are hoping to make a proper film franchise out of Zelda, considering there are multiple games that could inspire their own projects.
This is arguably the best time for a Legend of Zelda movie, as video game adaptations are enjoying something of a creative renaissance. While it used to be that movies based on games were either slammed by critics or failed to impress audiences, a slew of recent titles have brought success to the genre. On the small screen, HBO's The Last of Us amassed hefty viewership numbers earlier in 2023 and is currently nominated for 24 Emmys. Universal's Five Nights at Freddy's, while earning negative reviews, broke several box office and streaming records upon release at the end of October, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie stands as one of the top-grossing movies of the year.
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With all this in mind, The Legend of Zelda could become the latest video game adaptation to achieve runaway success. As it sounds like the project is still in early - albeit active - development, it probably will not premiere until late 2025 at the earliest. However, if Miyamoto, Arad, and Ball manage to tap into the elements that made the games so beloved, The Legend of Zelda could have a bright future on the big screen.
Source: Nintendo
