Talk of a Zelda adaptation was rife after the record-breaking success of the Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Now, it’s official: Nintendo has announced a film based on the epic adventures of the elf-like boy named Link. In a surprising twist, it's co-financing the film with the movie arm of its gaming rival Sony.
Nintendo says planning and development has begun on a live-action movie based on The Legend of Zelda.
That means it's going right back to the start of the franchise in what could turn out to be the first in a series of films.
The Legend of Zelda, which was originally released in Japan in 1986, follows Link as he attempts to rescue Princess Zelda from a demonic warlord named Ganon. The game’s fairytale setting took its inspiration from fantasy novels including J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.
Zelda has since spawned more than a dozen sequels, several remasters and spinoffs. Tears of the Kingdom, the most recent entry in the franchise, became the fastest-selling game in the Legend of Zelda series earlier this year, when it shifted more than 10 million copies in its first three days.
Nintendo is fiercely protective of its intellectual property, and became even more cautious after the failure of the 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros. film. Renowned video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto says he has been working on the Zelda movie for many years. But, some of the talent Nintendo has chosen to bring Zelda to the screen may raise a few eyebrows.
Firstly, there’s producer Avi Arad, who’s known for the Spider-Man and X-Men movies. Long before the latest Mario movie revived the maligned video game adaptation, Arad had exec-produced animated shows based on the games Double Dragon and Pac-Man. He was also involved in the brainless movie version of Uncharted, starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg.
Arad also has some stinkers in his repertoire, including Morbius, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and the Ghost Rider films.
Meanwhile, directing duties on The Legend of Zelda have been handed to Wes Ball, who previously helmed The Maze Runner franchise based on the young adult novels. Rounding out the main crew is Jurassic World scribe Derek Connolly.
Clearly, Nintendo is opening up to Hollywood after years spent evading its advances.
Still, it remains to be seen what impact the glossy, CGI-heavy approach of the chosen filmmakers has on the finished product.
In the worst-case scenario, Nintendo risks incensing gamers with a bland, crowd-pleasing adaptation that abandons its Japanese identity. The sad fact is that Nintendo is no longer just a beloved gaming company. It now has theme park tickets and toys to sell.
Then there’s the question of who should play Link. The internet is already ablaze with speculation: Jacob Tremblay, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Justice Smith are some of the rising stars doing the rounds. If Nintendo needs more inspiration, AI-generated posters for a fake Netflix Zelda adaptation previously showed Tom Holland and Emma Watson as the leads.
Whoever nabs the coveted role of Link will have to be happy keeping schtum. Alas, the fact that the protagonist doesn’t utter a word during the Zelda games will probably be the toughest challenge for the filmmakers. Then again, audiences are already accustomed to stoic, tight-lipped action heroes such as John Wick and Dominic Toretto.
Speculation aside, The Legend of Zelda is sure to be one of the most hyped movies of recent years. Expectations will be high, so let’s hope Nintendo and its troop of Hollywood bigwigs can deliver the goods.
