News broke earlier this week that Nintendo is at long last developing a live-action feature film based on one of their flagship franchises,The Legend of Zelda. Beyond fan desires to see the green tunic-donning hero Link brought to life on the big screen, there have been rumblings for years about the possibility of a project based in Hyrule includinga reported live-action series at Netflix that was canned. According toa new financial briefingfrom the gaming giant, this particular project has been around a decade in the making forShigeru Miyamotoand producerAvi Arad.
During the Q&A session including Nintendo PresidentShuntaro Furukawaand other directors and executives, Miyamoto gave more insight into the long-gestating project and the challenges that lie ahead in creating a film adaptation that will appeal to fans oftheir beloved action-adventure franchiseworldwide. “Regarding the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda, I know we face an extremely high hurdle in producing a film that will not disappoint the global fan base,” he began. “With this challenge in mind,I have been discussing this project with Avi Arad, Chairman of Arad Productions Inc., for about 10 years.”
Understandably, Nintendo wants to be careful withThe Legend of Zelda. The company has been very trepidatious about lending out its most recognizable IP and, despitethe overwhelming success ofThe Super Mario Bros. Movie, they likely understandan especially delicate touch is neededto capture the feel of Hyrule and its varied denizens. With that in mind, don’t expect theZeldamovie to come anytime soon, especially since it took over five years for Illumination’s Mario movie to arrivefrom when it was announced. Miyamoto affirmed that this project won’t reach theaters until they are beyond confident that it reaches the lofty standards of the franchise:
What We Know So Far About Nintendo and Sony’s ‘Legend of Zelda’ Movie
Stay tuned here at Collider for more on Nintendo and Sony’s live-actionThe Legend of Zeldamovie as development gets underway. Readour guide here for more on some of the best video game adaptations out therewhile we wait for updates.
