Sony Pictures confirmed the official release date for the upcoming live-action Legend of Zelda movie. According to Nintendo, The Legend of Zelda, directed by Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes filmmaker Wes Ball, will hit theaters on March 26, 2027. This update comes via the company's Nintendo Today app.
The Legend of Zelda movie release will compete with Legendary's next Godzilla X Kong movie, set to come to theaters the very same day, and Sonic The Hedgehog 4 (which hits the big screen a week earlier, on March 17, 2027).
This latest update marks the first major news fans have received about the Zelda movie project since it was first announced in November 2023. Sony veteran Avi Arad is producing, and Ball is attached to direct.
Thus far, project specifics remain scarce, with no casting information or any indication of the plot having been made public. Fans know only that it will adapt elements from the beloved Legend of Zelda video game franchise, which dates back to 1986.
Nintendo is said to be "heavily involved in the project," as written by Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto in 2023, as the Japanese gaming giant continues its efforts to expand its reach beyond just games.
The renowned video game publisher is also reported to be working on a sequel to its billion-dollar-making Super Mario Bros. Movie. However, that film still remains without an official release date (read more about Super Mario Bros. 2 here).
Like the games, The Legend of Zelda movie is assumed to follow a high-fantasy story centered on a young hero named Link overcoming near-insurmountable challenges and downing massive beasts, all to take down an evil entity known as Ganon.
What Is Next For The Legend of Zelda Movie?
With an official release date confirmed, the journey toward The Legend of Zelda movie has started to become clear.
Filming on the project will likely start sometime next year, and given the assumed scale of the Legend of Zelda story, a significant post-production window is expected.
That means the next steps for the film will be casting announcements for all of its big-name roles. Characters like Link, Zelda, and the evil Ganon will all have to be cast, and fans will surely be eager to know who will embody their favorite franchise characters on-screen.
While not a confirmed casting by any means, Euphoria's Hunter Shafer has been a name frequently mentioned in fan conversations about the live-action video game adaptation.
Some have speculated that with her blond hair and slightly pointed features, she could be the perfect star to lead a movie like this, either playing Princess Zelda or even the movie's primary hero, Link.
Shafer responded to these calls from fans, telling IGN in 2023, "I love the game, personally...Who knows! That would be pretty cool:"
"I love the game, personally. I played it as a kid, and I still play it now. Who knows! That would be pretty cool."
Other names mentioned by fans as dream potential castings have been Spider-Man's Tom Holland, Dune star Timothée Chalamet, and Scott Pilgrim's Micheal Cera, to name a few.
Thankfully, fans will likely hear about Zelda's potential cast sooner rather than later, with a full announcement probably coming sometime before the end of the year.
Director Wes Ball Talks What To Expect From Nintendo's Legend of Zelda Movie
Director Wes Ball teased in May 2024 conversation with The Direct that whatever happens in his Zelda film, "fans are gonna be happy:"
"We're working on it. I think it's gonna be great. Fans are gonna be happy. 'Legend of Zelda,' to me, is one of the most important things ever in my life. You know, next to 'Star Wars.' I've played 'Legend of Zelda' throughout my childhood into my adulthood. You know what I mean? I am a fan. I am a fellow fan. I will go to the ends of the earth to make sure that it is the movie we all hope it will be."
The Legend of Zelda has been a dream project for the Maze Runner director for decades. Back in 2010, Ball posted on his personal X account that he saw Zelda as "the next big mo-cap Avatar-like movie [franchise]:"
"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.'"
