Summary
Following the success of theSuper Mario Bros. MovieNintendo is moving forward on adapting another of its popular IP,The Legend of Zelda. Almost a year to the day that Nintendo’sZeldamovie was announced, the company has provided an update on when audiences might actually see it.
The Legend of Zeldahas become one of the most iconic franchises in gaming over its 38-year history. The story, which is set in the fantasy world of Hyrule, follows a young Hylian named Link and Princess Zelda as they attempt to stop the evil demon king, Ganon, from taking over the world. Players will usually take control of Link inThe Legend of Zeldagames, but the mostrecent installment,Echoes of Wisdomchose to make Princess Zelda the main playable character.The Legend of Zeldafranchise is a mass bestseller for Nintendo and is expected to have sold over 160 million copies across its 20+ video game entries.
Legend of Zelda Movie Gains Release Window
Alive-actionThe Legend of Zeldamoviewas announced to be in development in 2023 with Shigeru Miyamoto and Avi Arad teaming up to produce. Wes Ball (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes) was confirmed as the director and Sony Pictures partnered with Nintendo to finance and distribute the film.
Not much has been seen nor heard about the live-action Zelda film since then. However, Nintendo did provide a quick update on the film in its latestfinancial report. In a segment explaining Nintendo’s upcoming visual content, the company providedThe Legend of Zeldamovie with a release date of 202X. While not very specific, this does indicate that the Zelda movie will release at some point between2025 and 2029. Nintendo also reiterated in its report that theSuper Mario Bros. Moviesequel is still targeting a 2026 release date, which was previously reported.
Looking ahead, we are creating a new animated film based on the world of Super Mario Bros., set for theatrical release in April 2026. Additionally, we are planning and developing a live-action film of The Legend of Zelda.
While five years may seem like a long time to wait forThe Legend of Zeldamovie, there are a couple of reasons this broad release window is a good thing. One is that it provides Wes Ball with some flexibility in his schedule. 20th Century Studios has confirmed it is developinganotherPlanet of the Apesmoviethat will be a sequel to Ball’sKingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Assuming Ball returns to direct the nextApesmovie, studio head Steve Asbell recently suggested the sequel might betargeting a 2027 release, which means the director’s schedule for the next couple of years will likely be taken up with work on the nextApesmovie. So this broader release window for Zelda gives Ball time to dedicate himself to both projects.
Providing the Zelda film with a five-year release window is also beneficial for its development and gives the creative team plenty of time to adapt the video game properly. A lot is riding onThe Legend of Zeldafilm, given its massive fan base and its profitability for Nintendo. It will also be the first time theZelda world has been seen in live-actionrather than animation, so it’s more important than ever for theLegend of Zeldafilm to get it right.
