Stanisland Magazine

The latest news of Nintendo’s recent announcement: we separate the truth from the rumours

Last updated: August 4th 2025

Nearly 40 years on, a Legend of Zelda movie is in the works, and fans are not exactly (fully) on board. Not only is the director a questionable choice, but his portfolio of work leaves a lot to be desired. For instance, feedback on his current resume is average at best, and when you have a beloved franchise at stake, things could get a bit dicey.

Box Office Success

Nintendo suffered greatly at the hands of Hollywood’s odd live-action adaptation of the Super Mario Bros movie. It’s still cringe to think about it, despite Bob Hoskins‘ commitment to the role.

With a truly warped sense of the game’s story, they took concepts we love and turned them on their head. Since then, they’ve been protective of their IPs and have turned down many opportunities.

It wasn’t until the success of Detective Pikachu that they began to see potential in film again. In recent years, the gaming behemoth and the wider gaming industry have tasted great success, with some movies grossing more than $1 billion worldwide.

What’s the Plot?

Thanks to Nintendo’s consistent output, Zelda fans have always had a clear idea of what they want. There is an amalgamation of ideas for how to execute the film, with a communal vision being a fusion of Lord of the Rings (LOTR) meets Studio Ghibli. Personally, I would love to see this too, but when it comes to film adaptations, Hollywood’s obsession with a poor use of CGI coupled with greedy studio executives is a legitimate concern. But what story could it follow?

Several fan favourite screenplays could be adapted, from Ocarina of Time to Breath of the Wild; there are many narratives to choose from. However, my money is on it capturing the essence of the original two instalments spread into a three-part motion picture. This would make sense as it could introduce the franchise to new audiences without a story that (the uninitiated) may seem hard to follow.

Doing this will help to include key characters, such as (of course) Zelda, Link, plus iconic lines such as “It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this.” Villains and bosses such as Lynel, Carock, Gooma, the Armos Knight, Link’s Shadow, Thunderbird, Horsehead, etc, will make seamless transitions to the silver screen given their suitability to a fantasy script. Their largely humanoid builds will be widely accepted by new audiences.

So, my bet is on revitalising important storylines that offer a brace of balanced tonal compositions and lighting, as witnessed in the first two instalments. The Hero of Time arc might have to unfortuantely take a back foot, unless it can be chiseled in as backstory.

Fan Reactions

Despite a longing for a live-action over the years, especially after the release of a brace of similar movies in the early 2000s, opinion is now divided. Some Reddit fans have expressed their desire for more accessible media, such as Anime. One user said, “I would prefer an anime. Either a TV series or a movie in 2D animation. But growing up, everyone kept dreaming of a live-action Zelda movie.”

Another exclaimed some characters may not translate well to the screen: “Someone like Mipha looks so gorgeous animated, and I’m not sure how that’s going to translate if done in live-action form.”

Production and Location Details

Wes Ball (The Maze Runner trilogy and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes) is set to direct the project. He will be stewarded (hopefully) by the game’s creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, who leads a partnership between Nintendo and Sony Pictures, which will both finance production, which is likely a good sign.

Location-wise, filming is scheduled to begin on November 4th 2025, in New Zealand, known for its iconic scenery used in the LOTR Trilogy.

It has been suggested that the movie will be part of a broader, large-scale trilogy, though this has not yet been confirmed. However, this makes sense given Nintendo have been keen to complete a trilogy of games for one console platform, and perhaps a movie saga is more within reach given the engineering asks for each instalment.

Who is Starring in the LOTZ Movie?

So far, casting details have not yet been finalised, though fans have put forward their proposals, including a suggestion that Hunter Schafer or Saoirse Ronan be cast in the role of Princess Zelda.

Is Wes Ball the Best Choice for Director?

There are plenty of talented directors out there, and I’ll cheer Wes Ball on, hoping he will capture the imagination of fans everywhere. But that’s only because he’s contractually locked in. Who else could truly knock it out of the park?

The problem is, there aren’t many who could successfully steer the franchise’s roadmap to success, which was probably why Ball was chosen for the project. Peter Jackson is an obvious choice, given his experience and attention to nuance in his projects. That said, the Hobbit trilogy was an average effort for a story that could have been told in one movie, suggesting his vision was compromised or the studio dug its claws into his ideas.

---

What do you think? Comment below