Live-Action LEGEND OF ZELDA Movie Teased by Sony CEO and Nintendo Game Director Talks About Working with Avi Arad-san — GeekTyrant

Sony Pictures has teamed up with Nintendo to develop a live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda. There’s a lot of excitement surrounding this project because fans have been wanting to see a Zelda movie get made for a long time! Now that it’s happening, we’re all just hoping that they don’t screw it up!

Maze Runner and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes director Wes Ball is taking on the challenge of helming this movie, which he seems pretty excited about. During Sony’s presentation at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show, Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida teased that we can expect the film to be “an amazing tale of adventure and discovery.” 

The Legend of Zelda follows the adventures of a young hero named Link, who is often tasked with rescuing Princess Zelda and battling the malevolent villain Ganon. The series is praised for its engaging, open-world exploration, intricate puzzles, and rich storytelling. Each game typically takes place in the fantasy realm of Hyrule and features a mix of action, puzzle-solving, and exploration.

The movie is also being produced by Avi Arad, which in my opinion is a huge mistake. He’s got so many terrible ideas that he forces into a lot of his film projects. But, Nintendo game director Shigeru Miyamoto is excited to have him on board and said in a statement:

“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. 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.”

Arad’s involvement is the one thing that has me worried, but I’m still looking forward to seeing what comes of the project. Ball previously explained that the movie will be more inspired by the work of Hayao Miyazaki and less like The Lord of the Rings. Ball shared his vision for the film:

“This awesome fantasy-adventure movie that isn’t like Lord of the Rings, it’s its own thing. I’ve always said, I would love to see a live-action Miyazaki. That wonder and whimsy that he brings to things, I would love to see something like that.

“It’s going to be awesome. My whole life has led up to this moment. I grew up on Zelda and it is the most important property, I think, that’s untapped IP, if you will. So we very much are working hard to do something. We’re not just trying to do it because we can. We want to make something really special.”

Ball also offered an update on the film’s development: “We’re working on the script, and whether it’s the next one or not, it’s hard to say exactly. But certainly the plan is, after Apes is done, to have a little bit of a rest for a moment, and then dive into [Zelda] and hopefully give fans what they’re hoping for, and also invite new people in. I think Nintendo’s desire is to introduce people to this world that’s been around for 40 years now.”

Nintendo and Sony Pictures are co-producing the movie, with Derek Connolly (Jurassic World) writing the screenplay.

Do you think this creative team will deliver a great Legend of Zelda movie?