The first images from the set of the live action film The Legend of Zelda have just been revealed. Link, Zelda and a mysterious female character are already visible on the set in New Zealand. Casting, production, visual details… we take stock of this highly anticipated adaptation, scheduled for 2027.
In full production, the feature film The Legend of Zelda co-produced by Nintendo and Sony Pictures is currently filming in New Zealand. These first filming videos confirm the presence of Benjamin Evan Ainsworth in the role of Link, and Bo Bragason in that of Princess Zelda. A third figure caught the attention of fans: actress Dichen Lachman (Severance), whose role has not been officially revealed. Speculation is rife, with some seeing it as an incarnation of the cult character Impa.
A first glimpse faithful to video games
What is striking from these first images is the visual respect for the game universe. The princess has her pointy ears from the game, a detail that many fans feared not to find in this adaptation. As for Link, fans had been skeptical of a first cropped visual. Good news: Ainsworth’s hairstyle has been changed and he now looks much more like Link from the games.
Since 1986, the Zelda saga has fascinated millions of players around the world. This will be the very first live-action film adaptation, after the dazzling success of the Super Mario Bros film released in 2023, which grossed more than $1.3 billion at the global box office. This new production seems to want to appeal to both purists and the general public.
Release date, team and production ambitions
The film will be released in theaters on May 7, 2027. In production, we find a prestigious team: Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo and Avi Arad, known for his work on The Amazing Spider-Man. The production is entrusted to Wes Ball, director of Planet of the Apes: The Kingdom, while the screenplay is by Derek Connolly, author of Jurassic World.
In a statement when the project was first announced, Miyamoto said: “I asked Avi-san to produce this film with me, and we have now officially begun development, with Nintendo heavily involved in the production. It will take some time before it is finished, but I hope you look forward to seeing it.”
Everything suggests that Nintendo, building on its success with Mario, intends to lay a new stone in its cinematographic universe. The coming weeks should further lift the veil on this closely watched adaptation.