Live-action Zelda director is already planning a franchise of movies

Live-action Zelda director is already planning a franchise of movies
Images via Nintendo

Written by 

Tom Chapman

Published 

1st May 2024 10:42

You don't need a box office expert to tell you that a live-action The Legend of Zelda movie has the potential to go all the way. The resurgence of video game movies was kickstarted by the likes of Detective Pikachu and Sonic the Hedgehog, making way for The Super Mario Bros. Movie to break box office records.

Now, Nintendo's other biggest IP is taking a shot at the top with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' Wes Ball taking the helm. Shigeru Miyamoto announced the live-action Zelda movie in November 2023, with Sony Pictures co-financing the film. We're told it's still a way off, but now, Ball has given us some insight into what's on the way.

Wes Ball is already planning a Zelda franchise 

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by u/PlanetOfTheApesMovie from discussion
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Dishing the dirt in a Reddit Ask Me Anything, Ball was here to promote Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Zelda naturally cropped up a lot, with the director being surprisingly open about what's on the way. Among the biggest shockers, Ball confirmed he's already planning a Zelda franchise.

Redditor u/Fine_Land_1974 asked, "If the film does well, are there plans in place to extend the series?" Ball replied, "Yes, We’d love to continue with the story and characters," which might seem like an obvious answer but is rare at such an early stage of a movie's development. 

There's the caveat that the first movie would have to do well, but given the hype surrounding the project, we can't see this long-awaited outing doing anything other than soaring to the top of the charts. If Ball is already sketching out plans for a sequel, expect all the usual cliffhanger endings and post-credit stingers.

Yes, it looks like Link will talk

Talking Link in the Zelda games
Click to enlarge

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While you'd be hard-pushed to find someone who isn't looking forward to the Zelda movie, there are some concerns. Elsewhere in the AMA, Ball suggests that Link will talk. We've previously aired our own concerns that a talking Link would overhaul the usual silent protagonist, but to be honest, it makes sense. 

Someone else said that while talking apes in the Apes movies isn't too jarring, they can't see it working with Link. Ball dropped another seemingly massive spoiler when he said, "When I play Zelda as Link I speak with many villagers and creatures throughout the game; asking and answering many questions."

Aside from the odd grunt, Link has been silent in most of the games. He did talk in the animated Zelda cartoon from the '90s, and even though it would be weird to have a whole movie with Link keeping it zipped, hearing him talk is sure to split fandom. Well, at least we're one step closer to Tom Holland voicing a chatty Link. 

Tom Chapman
About the author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
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