The Live-Action ‘Zelda’ Movie Is Finally Happening

Another classic Nintendo franchise is headed to the big screen — in live-action.

Sony and Nintendo have announced that a live-action Legend of Zelda film is headed to theaters in 2027. Wes Ball, who recently directed Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, will direct the film. Ball’s prior filmography includes directing all three Maze Runner movies.

At present, the film does not have any announced cast. (I’m sure we’re all hoping for Timothée Chalamet with big pointy years for Link. He’s just the obvious choice.)

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The Legend of Zelda debuted on the original Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986. Designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, the fantasy adventure game became one of the most popular NES titles, and has remained a cornerstone of the Nintendo library across just about every console. The most recent game in the franchise, Tears of the Kingdom, was released in 2023.

Zelda’s never had a movie, though. (The closest it ever got before was probably the animated Zelda segments of the old Super Mario Bros. Super Show of the late 1980s.) Following the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Nintendo began developing a Zelda film — although it is notably in live-action, while Mario is animation. (When they made a live-action Super Mario Bros. movie, we all remember how that turned out.)

Miyamoto is producing the film, alongside Avi Arad, who’s best known as one of the producers of Sony’s long-running Spider-Man movie franchise. Nintendo and Sony first revealed the existence of the live-action Zelda in 2023; this is the first time the movie has had a confirmed release date, indicating that development is actually progressing on the project.

The Legend of Zelda movie is scheduled to open in theaters on March 26, 2027.