Fans of The Legend of Zelda series have been keeping an eye on the live-action adaptation, which was first announced back in 2023. In collaboration with Sony Pictures, Nintendo plans to bring The Legend of Zelda to the big screen. Yesterday, after a good bit of silence, Nintendo used their newly launched news app Nintendo Today! to confirm the release date for the live adaptation. The Legend of Zelda movie will arrive in theaters on March 26th, 2027. Though that means the adaptation is still a ways off, the movie is reportedly in development, which means new details and rumors have begun trickling in.
Few details about the live adaptation of The Legend of Zelda have been confirmed. Along with the theatrical release date, we know the movie will be produced by Avi Arad and directed by Wes Ball. However, no cast announcements have been confirmed, leaving gamers to wonder who will step into the roles of Link, Zelda, and other iconic characters. But now, according to a new rumor, we might be looking at live-action movies, plural, for this video game adaptation.
This new intel comes from Daniel Richtman, a movie industry insider who shares his insights via a Patreon newsletter and was later reshared via Video Games Chronicle. According to Richtman, Nintendo and Sony intend to sign all major acting roles for a three-film franchise, planned for a span of six years. We don’t yet have confirmation of any actors attached to the project, but if these rumors are true, the cast announcements could bring us three films featuring these live-action versions of Link, Zelda, and more. With years’ worth of story to pull from in the original franchise, it makes sense that Sony and Nintendo could be eyeing multiple films if the first one performs well.
Although signing actors on for multiple films might point toward a trilogy, it’s important to remember that it’s no guarantee. Signing actors on for multiple films with a big IP like this is fairly standard practice, a bit of insurance in case the film turns out to be a hit. Just because actors sign on for three films doesn’t mean the other two are guaranteed to happen, especially if the live-action Legend of Zelda falls short of box office expectations.
New Details Reveal Legend of Zelda Movie Plot & Filming Location
While the rumors of a trilogy are unconfirmed for now, we do have a few new details, including the filming location and a vague plot description. The info comes from a listing on Production List, which indicates that the live-action The Legend of Zelda film will be shot in New Zealand. This puts it alongside other iconic fantasy trilogy The Lord of the Rings and upcoming video game adaptation A Minecraft Movie.
Alongside this filming location information, Production List also includes our first-ever story hint for The Legend of Zelda adaptation. A brief project summary gives the following details about the live-action movie:
” ‘The Legend of Zelda’ follows Link, a young warrior destined to protect the magical kingdom of Hyrule from the forces of darkness. The land is under threat from Ganon, a ruthless warlord who seeks the Triforce – an ancient relic said to grant limitless power. To stop him, Link must embark on a perilous journey, battling monstrous creatures, exploring treacherous dungeons, and solving intricate puzzles to uncover sacred artifacts that can aid him in his quest.”
While it’s exciting to finally have some plot details for the live-action The Legend of Zelda adaptation, this summary pretty much reads like an overview of the game franchise. Many of these details appear in most, if not all, The Legend of Zelda games. So, the project description doesn’t tell us much about which game’s story the adaptation will follow, whether it will diverge for its own way of retelling Link’s battle against Ganon. At any rate, it doesn’t look like we’re getting a live-action The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.
Live-action video game adaptations can be very hit or miss, with some TV and film translations knocking it out of the park while others fall flat. So, it makes sense that longtime The Legend of Zelda fans are waiting to hear more about the film’s story and cast before leaning into the hype.
Are you looking forward to the live-action Legend of Zelda movie? Let us know your dream castings for major roles in the comments below!
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