Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Nintendo and Sony team up for Legend of Zelda movie

By Blair Marnell Published November 7, 2023

After the Super Mario Bros. live-action film bombed in 1993, Nintendo kept its top video game franchises away from Hollywood for decades. But with the runaway success of the animated film The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Nintendo will unleash its other top title upon movie audiences. Via The Hollywood Reporter, Nintendo and Sony Pictures are planning a live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda.

While Sony and Nintendo are rivals when it comes to gaming consoles, the two companies have apparently been making plans for the Zelda film for a long time. As part of the announcement, Nintendo and Sony revealed that Wes Ball, the director of The Maze Runner trilogy, is attached to direct Zelda. Ball’s next movie, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, is slated to hit theaters on May 24, 2024.

Link in promo art for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. — Nintendo

The Legend of Zelda video game series was created by Shigeru Miyamoto in 1986, and the action role-playing game quickly became one of the company’s most popular titles. Several sequels have been produced over the subsequent decades, with the most recent game, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, arriving earlier this year.

Recommended Videos

Miyamoto will produce the film on behalf of Nintendo alongside Avi Arad and his company, Arad Productions. Sony and Nintendo will co-finance the movie as well. On the official Nintendo Twitter account, Miyamoto confirmed the news and said that he personally asked Arad to produce the film. Arad is the former co-owner of Marvel who produced or executive produced every Spider-Man movie to date.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

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. [2]https://t.co/2H9lzzS5Pv

— 任天堂株式会社 (@Nintendo) November 7, 2023

For now, there’s no time frame for when The Legend of Zelda will hit theaters. But if it’s finished before 2026, then it could be released just in time for the franchise’s 40th anniversary.

Topics

Blair Marnell has been an entertainment journalist for over 15 years. His bylines have appeared in Wizard Magazine, Geek…

Entertainment

One of 2023’s best-reviewed movies is now on Netflix. Here’s why you should watch it

The poster for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Just under five months after it hit theaters, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has finally made its streaming debut on Netflix. The heavily-anticipated follow-up to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse did not disappoint as it became one of the top hits of the summer. Given its overwhelmingly positive reception from fans, it should be among the most popular movies on Netflix within its first 24 hours.

Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson co-directed the film from a script by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Dave Callaham. Shameik Moore reprised his role as Miles Morales, with Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy, Brian Tyree Henry as Jeff Morales, Lauren Vélez as Rio Morales, Jake Johnson as Peter B. Parker, Jason Schwartzman as The Spot, and Oscar Isaac as Miguel O'Hara.

Gaming

Gran Turismo isn’t very good, but I want more movies like it

Archie Madekwe looks at David Harbour in Gran Turismo.

I watched the Gran Turismo movie and didn’t think it was very good. Still, I want more video game-related films that are just like it.

Let me explain. For other creative mediums like film and literature, biographical films, documentaries, and TV shows about the people who make or are impacted by them are more common. Films and TV shows like Ed Wood, The Disaster Artist, Tolkien, The Offer, and more come to mind. However, the video game industry did not get that same treatment until very recently. For a long time, referring to a video game movie or TV show meant that you were referring to a film that adapts the story or world of a popular game. That is beginning to change.

Entertainment

Watch these 5 movies if you liked The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Link and Zelda under Hyrule Castle in "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom."

The Legend of Zelda franchise has left fans wanting to see Link and the titular princess go on an adventure on the big screen. This desire has only been intensified by the popular release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and debunked rumors that Illumination Entertainment was making an animated adaptation.

It may be a long time before Nintendo makes a Zelda film, but for those who enjoyed their latest gaming masterpiece, these five movies should give audiences a similar cinematic experience.
Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986)