Today, via the official Nintendo Today app, it was announced that the live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda would be arriving in theaters on March 26, 2027.
Plans for a live-action movie were originally announced back in November 2023, as series creator Shigeru Miyamoto took to social media to reveal it would be produced by himself and Avi Arad. It will also be directed by Wes Ball, who is best known for his work on The Maze Runner trilogy and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
While we don’t know much about casting, the adaptation will be co-financed by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Nintendo. The story also remains somewhat of a mystery, especially considering how many different versions of The Legend of Zelda there are to pick from.
The Legend of Zelda was originally released in 1986, following Link’s adventures as he sets off to save Princess Zelda. The series has expanded to include 21 entries on all of Nintendo’s consoles and a handful of spinoffs.
An animated television series was also created based on the games back in 1989, taking place as a part of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! The series ran for 65 episodes and is often remembered for Link’s sarcastic catchphrase of “Well, excuse me, Princess!” Considering Link is canonically mute in just about every game in the series, it isn’t too surprising the show didn’t last longer than a year and that it has since become a meme in the community.
Considering the recent success of video game franchises in both television (Arcane, The Last of Us, & Fallout) and movies (Sonic the Hedgehog, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, & Pokémon: Detective Pikachu), it seems like now is as good a time as any to try and adapt the story into the entertainment medium. The Super Mario Bros. Movie alone has made Nintendo over $1.3 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time.
