Wes Ball has been hyping his Hyrule adventure up to be a unique experience worthy of Hayao Miyazaki. Sony has now added a date to their schedule.
Since the official word broke that Nintendo is pursuing a live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda, Maze Runner director Wes Ball, who will be overseeing Hyrule, has said he wants The Legend of Zelda to feel like a live-action Miyazaki film, which is likely to please dedicated fans of the Nintendo property. Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, The Boy and the Heron, Princess Mononoke) is the legend who co-founded Studio Ghibli and is often called the “Godfather of Anime.” Ball says his vision for The Legend of Zelda is “this awesome fantasy-adventure movie that isn’t like Lord of the Rings, it’s its own thing. I’ve always said, I would love to see a live-action Miyazaki. That wonder and whimsy that he brings to things, I would love to see something like that.”
The Hollywood Reporter has now revealed that the big Nintendo IP next to Super Mario Bros. has now secured a release date from Sony for March 26, 2027. Ball also helmed last year’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which was well-received and many thought the film was a worthy follow-up to the prior Planet of the Apes prequel trilogy.
The film will be produced by Shigeru Miyamoto, Representative Director and Fellow of Nintendo, and Avi Arad, Chairman of Arad Productions Inc. Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. will handle worldwide distribution of the Legend of Zelda movie, as well as co-finance the project with Nintendo. Miyamoto confirmed that he has “been working on the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda for many years now with Avi Arad-san, who has produced many mega-hit films.” He continued: “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.”
The first Legend of Zelda game was released by Nintendo in 1986 and followed Link, a young hero who seeks to save the Kingdom of Hyrule and rescue Princess Zelda from Ganon, an evil villain who desires the Triforce to gain ultimate power. Nearly twenty sequels followed the first game, and the franchise has become one of Nintendo’s most acclaimed.
“It’s going to be awesome,” Ball promises. “My whole life has led up to this moment. I grew up on Zelda and it is the most important property, I think, that’s untapped IP, if you will. So we very much are working hard to do something. We’re not just trying to do it because we can. We want to make something really special.”
