Nintendo announced the release date for their latest live-action film adaptation of a popular video game series — and fans have expressed skepticism online.
The Legend of Zelda was first confirmed in 2023, and Nintendo have now said it will be released on March 26, 2027.
Nintendo game director Shigeru Miyamoto says he will personally be involved in the film, with The Maze Runner and Kingdom of Planet of the Apes’ Wes Ball attached to direct.
Ball is known as a longtime fan of the series, and tweeted back in 2010: “Since I could never even hope to have the chance to direct it... the next big mo-cap Avatar-like movie should be... THE LEGEND OF ZELDA.”
It is not yet known what sort of visual style Ball will use for the film but several fans on social media have argued that they would prefer the film to be animated, pointing to the game series’ famously immersive design.
On X, one fan wrote in a popular post: “why am i the only one that doesn’t want the legend of zelda movie to be live action….like imagine the animation they could do.”
Another responded: “I only want it to be live action if it made my Japan, but regardless animation would be so much better. Like Minecraft being live action makes no sense.”
A third reasoned: “It’s most likely not going to be purely live action. The director has worked a lot in motion capture and I predict we may see that be the case not just for creature characters and monsters, but lead ones like link and Zelda, almost something akin to like Alita: Battle Angel.”
While another said simply: “PLEASE DONT LET BE LIVE ACTION.”
A string of hit video games have recently been adapted for the screen, with mixed results. Dystopian survival game The Last of Us became a hit live-action HBO series, while a recent trailer for the live-action Minecraft movie was branded “awful” by fans.
With a live-action Zelda, Nintendo looks to build on its previous successes. In 2023, The Super Mario Bros. Movie proved one of the biggest hits of the year, grossing over a billion dollars at the box office. The animated film, which starred Chris Pratt, became the highest-grossing film based on a video game. A sequel is expected in 2026.
No casting announcements have yet been made for the Legend of Zelda movie, although many fans on social media have called for Euphoria star Hunter Schafer to be cast as Princess Zelda due to her resemblance to the character.
One fan wrote: “ever since someone said she [should] be princess zelda in a live action legend of zelda i cannot unsee elf princess hunter schafer.”
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