Live-action Zelda movie rumoured to be the next big Nintendo project
The next big gaming adaptation could be here, following rumours that Nintendo is looking at a live-action The Legend of Zelda movie.
11th Sep 2023 12:42
Images via Nintendo | Dan Leveille
Live-action Zelda movie rumoured to be the next big Nintendo project
The next big gaming adaptation could be here, following rumours that Nintendo is looking at a live-action The Legend of Zelda movie.
11th Sep 2023 12:42
Images via Nintendo | Dan Leveille
Someone get Tom Holland on the phone because a live-action The Legend of Zelda movie could be on the way. Following the success of Illumination's The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Nintendo is rightly poring through the archives in the hunt for its next box office behemoth.
While we previously heard rumours about an animated Zelda movie in the vein of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the idea of a live-action outing for Link and Hyrule is an altogether more tempting prospect. Also, we imagine it would be one of Hollywood's hottest tickets for A-listers and newcomers alike.
Live-action The Legend of Zelda movie teased
According to leaker MyTimetoShineHello, Nintendo is looking at a live-action Zelda movie. The account has a strong history of getting Marvel leaks right, with them being the go-to for Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness leaks before it was released. Then again, their gaming history is a little more patchy.
Apparently, the Zelda movie is in the works between Nintendo and Universal, which makes sense given the pair's history. The idea of a live-action Zelda movie should have us recreating the Fry from Futurama "Shut up and take my money" meme, but with the source being a "Trust me bro," we need to temper our expectations.
There are no further details on the project (if it exists at all), and given how there was so much chatter about an animated movie possibly in the same style as The Super Mario Bros. Movie, we're not sure where this sudden U-turn would've come from. Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto has said he's sure more projects are coming, just not which ones.
Given the various art styles Zelda has had over the years, a live-action movie might be easier to pull off and unite the many games into one streamlined story. Still, we'd love a two-part adaptation of Ocarina, with Young and Adult Link giving us an epic saga.
We almost had a live-action Zelda series
In an alternate reality, we'd have already seen some fresh-faced actor take on the role of Link to wield the Master Sword. Once upon a time, Netflix was working on a live-action The Legend of Zelda series, but it had its life support cut when the project was leaked ahead of time.
More recently, artist Dan Leveille managed to trick us all into thinking a Netflix Zelda series was on the way, thanks to a series of fan posters. With Tom Holland and Emma Watson taking leading roles as Link and Zelda, there was also Idris Elba as Ganon, Gemma Chan as the Great Fairy, and Danny DeVito as Tingle.
The cast list alone of a live-action Zelda series/movie is enough to make our eyes water, and considering The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is the most expensive TV series of all time, we can only imagine what it would cost to do Hyrule justice. Whatever form Zelda's trip to the silver screen comes in, we'll patiently wait while humming "Saria's Song."
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.
