The Legend of Zelda (film)

Development

In 2007, Imagi Animation Studios created a pitch reel for a computer-animated The Legend of Zelda film, but Nintendo did not accept the studio's offer, with reluctance in adapting their games following the critical and commercial failure of the 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros. film.^[2] The project's existence was made public in April 2013, when a teaser trailer made as a proof of concept surfaced on Vimeo as part of a former Imagi employee's portfolio.^[3] In October 2013, series producer Eiji Aonuma stated that, if development of a film began, the company would want to use the opportunity to embrace audience interaction in some capacity.^[4][5]

In June 2023, it was reported that Nintendo was close to closing a deal with Illumination and Universal Pictures to produce a film adaptation of the Zelda franchise following the success of their film The Super Mario Bros. Movie earlier that year.^[6] However, Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri denied these reports later that month.^[7]

In November 2023, Nintendo announced that they were developing a live-action The Legend of Zelda film, with Sony Pictures co-financing and handling worldwide theatrical distribution.^[8] Wes Ball was hired to direct, with Derek Connolly writing the screenplay, and Shigeru Miyamoto and Avi Arad serving as producers alongside Ball and his producing partner Joe Hartwick Jr. through their OddBall Entertainment company.^[9] According to Miyamoto, he and Arad had been working on a Zelda film for many years.^[10] Following the announcement, fans discovered a tweet by Ball from January 2010 which revealed that he first suggested the idea of a Zelda film, describing it as "the next big mo-cap Avatar-like movie" and saying that he "could never even hope to have the chance to direct it".^[11][12] In June 2025, it was announced that Connolly had been replaced as screenwriter by T. S. Nowlin, who previously collaborated with Ball on the Maze Runner film series.^[13]

Casting

Before the casting for Princess Zelda was announced, Patricia Summersett, who previously voiced the incarnation of Zelda introduced in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017), said that she would like to reprise her role in the film.^[14] Hunter Schafer, MGK, Walker Scobell, and Emma Myers all expressed interest in being cast.^{[15][16][17][18]} In July 2025, it was announced that Bo Bragason and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth had been cast as Zelda and Link respectively.^[1] In November 2025, leaked footage of the filming showed another cast member, leading to speculation that it is Dichen Lachman playing Impa.^[19][20]

Filming

Principal photography began in November 2025, in Wellington, New Zealand, under the codename Umami,^[21] and wrapped in April 2026.^{[22][23][24][25]} In April, it was revealed that filming also occurred in Otago at Glenorchy, a location prominently used in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy.^[26] Gyula Pados served as cinematographer.^[21]