The Legend of Zelda movie will mimic The Lord of the Rings in one major way, and I could not be more excited. In 2027, Nintendo and Sony Pictures will welcome fans into the sprawling world of Hyrule, adapting the beloved Legend of Zelda game series for the big screen for the first time. This marks Nintendo's first live-action movie project in over 30 years, and the first time the game-making giant has tackled anything like this.
This feeling of breaking new ground for the Switch 2 maker has some fans nervous about the Zelda movie. Nintendo has never had to tackle the kind of fantasy epic that a Zelda movie will almost surely be. However, early indicators suggest the company is getting off on the right foot for the project.
A new update to The Legend of Zelda movie's Film & Television Industry Alliance page (as shared online by X user Mike Odyssey) confirmed that the 2027 blockbuster has officially gone into production, with filming set to take place in New Zealand.
One of the biggest concerns for fans regarding the Zelda movie has been whether Nintendo and Sony Pictures would take the property seriously enough to bring the full scope of the games to the screen. Oddly enough, this new production listing may confirm that.
Zelda shooting in New Zealand could be exactly what fans have been hoping to hear. Nintendo's first live-action movie of the modern era appears to be taking a page from one of the best to ever do it: The Lord of the Rings.
Peter Jackson's acclaimed adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy epic also utilized New Zealand as its production base, utilizing the country's varied terrain, which included tranquil fields, sprawling mountains, and a brutal coastline, to depict the world of Middle-earth.
A common worry regarding the Zelda movie has been that Nintendo and Sony may cut corners to bring its fantasy setting to life, opting for a large soundstage or the use of technologies like The Volume instead of a real physical location. This, however, may suggest that the studio is ready to take a page out of The Lord of the Rings' book for the film.
In part, it was New Zealand's picturesque, otherworldly landscapes that made the Lord of the Rings films feel as transportive as they did, and could hint at The Legend of Zelda feeling the same when it eventually hits the big screen.
Like Middle-earth, Hyrule requires a sense of scale that a place like New Zealand can provide, meaning that where the Zelda movie set its production could potentially make or break the project.
Of course, this is by no means confirmation that The Legend of Zelda will be a good movie, but it is just the latest mark in the movie's favor, suggesting that this could be the adaptation fans have been waiting decades for.
The Legend of Zelda comes to theaters on May 7, 2027 (after just a short delay from its originally announced release). Directed by Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and Maze Runner filmmaker Wes Ball, the Zelda movie is said to adapt the epic fantasy world of Nintendo's beloved Legend of Zelda franchise.
The movie will star Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as its central hero Link and Bo Bragason as the titular Princess Zelda. The Zelda series follows a green-tuniced hero as he is pulled from his relatively quiet life in the forest and thrust forth on an adventure to defeat an ancient evil as the long-prophesied Hero of Time.
Why Else You Should Be Excited For The Zelda Movie?
The more we hear about The Legend of Zelda movie, the more excited I get. While there will always be those inherent nerves that come with any big-name adaptation, it seems like Nintendo and Sony Pictures are doing just about everything right heading into the project.
That all starts with its director, Wes Ball. Ball, who most recently brought to life the acclaimed Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes movie for 20th Century Studios, has called the Zelda film his dream project.
In a 2024 conversation with The Direct, Ball called the franchise "one of the most important things ever in my life," adding, "I will go to the ends of the earth to make sure that it is the movie we all hope it will be:"
"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."
From the outside, it appears as though Ball is taking the Zelda movie as seriously as fans do, which is all that audiences can ask.
Another exciting detail about the upcoming film is how it went about its casting. The Legend of Zelda will star relative unknowns Benjamin Evan Ainsworth and Bo Bragason.
Prior to the pair's official announcement, fans had tapped names like Tom Holland, Hunter Schafer, and Timothée Chalamet to play characters like Link and Zelda. However, going with a pair of young stars that audiences do not have much history with allows them to see them just as the characters, immersing them even more in the world of Hyrule.
All of these are small details that paint an exciting picture of what Nintendo and Sony are going for in The Legend of Zelda movie, something that could add up to a video game movie masterpiece if it all comes together.
