It’s Hollywood meets Hyrule for Nintendo‘s next big screen endeavour. The Japanese gaming giant has confirmed that a live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda is in the works, with creator and game developer Shigeru Miyamoto serving as producer.
I have asked Avi-san to produce this film with me, and we have now officially started the development of the film with Nintendo itself heavily involved in the production. It will take time until its completion, but I hope you look forward to seeing it. [2]https://t.co/2H9lzzS5Pv
— 任天堂株式会社 (@Nintendo) November 7, 2023
“This is Miyamoto. I have been working on the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda for many years now with Avi Arad-san, who has produced many mega hit films,” said the industry veteran on X (formerly Twitter).
“I have asked Avi-san to produce this film with me, and we have now officially started the production of the film with Nintendo itself heavily involved in the production. It will take time until its completion, but I hope you look forward to seeing it.”
Wes Ball, who helmed the Maze Runner trilogy and upcoming Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, is directing the film. Jurassic World screenwriter Derek Connolly will pen the script. As announced by Miyamoto, the live-action Zelda project is co-produced by Arad, whose credits include every live-action Spider-Man movie and the Spider-Verse animated features.
While the film will be co-financed by Nintendo and Sony, the former is footing more than 50 percent of the bill. Plot and casting details are still under wraps, but the video game series follows the elf-like warrior Link (not Zelda, despite what the title might suggest) on his quest to defeat big bad Ganon, and rescue Zelda, the princess of Hyrule.
One thing’s for certain, though – the company has no lack of content to work with. The franchise dates all the way back to 1986, and currently consists of 29 video games, including original titles, ports, remakes, and collections. The latest major release in the series is 2023’s Tears of the Kingdom, which sold more than 10 million copies in its first three days.
The announcement comes at a pivotal time for Nintendo, following the overwhelming success of both the animated Super Mario Bros. Movie and Tears of the Kingdom, as well as its future plans to become a broader entertainment company. Earlier this year, Miyamoto confirmed that more Nintendo movies are on the way, and it seems this is only the beginning of its dominance on the silver screen…hopefully.
No release date has been set for the live-action Zelda adaptation.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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