(Left) Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link in The Legend of Zelda’. Photo: Nintendo of America’s X account. (Right) Bo Bragason as Zelda in ‘The Legend of Zelda’. Photo: Nintendo of America’s X account.
Preview:
- Bo Bragason and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth will play Zelda and Link in ‘The Legend of Zelda’.
- ‘The Maze Runner’s Wes Ball will direct the movie.
- The original Nintendo game landed in 1986 and has become a big sensation.
Since it was first announced as in development back in 2023, Sony and Nintendo’s live-action adaptation of the latter’s hugely popular video game series ‘The Legend of Zelda’ has been quiet.
Partly that’s because chosen director Wes Ball was a little busy making ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’, but things have now taken a big step forward with word that the movie’s team have found their main duo –– Bo Bragason will play Zelda, while Benjamin Evan Ainsworth has won the role of Link.
A live-action adaptation of the Legend of Zelda video game series. Read the Plot
The news came via a tweet from game co-creator Shigeru Miyamoto, who revealed image of the two young actors in costume.
宮本です。「ゼルダの伝説」の実写映画は、ゼルダ役をBo Bragasonさん、リンク役をBenjamin Evan Ainsworthさんに演じていただくことになりました。おふたりの出演が今から楽しみです。「ゼルダの伝説」実写映画は2027年5⽉7⽇に劇場公開予定です。もうしばらくお待ちください。 pic.twitter.com/jctWHvvYgi
— 任天堂株式会社 (@Nintendo) July 16, 2025
Related Article: Sony and Nintendo are Developing a Live-Action ‘The Legend of Zelda’ Movie, with ‘The Maze Runner’s Wes Ball Directing
What’s the story of ‘The Legend of Zelda’?
‘The Legend of Zelda.’ Photo: Nintendo.
The ‘Legend of Zelda’ game franchise, created by Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, first debuted via Nintendo in 1986. The game follows the elf-like warrior Link and Princess Zelda as they fight to save the magical land of Hyrule from Ganon, an evil warlord-turned-demon king.
Across the decades, the franchise has sustained as one of Nintendo’s most iconic, selling over 150 million units with multiple installments across various gaming consoles, one of the most famous behind 1998’s ‘The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.’
It has also spawned animated TV adaptations. With so much source material to draw upon, there’s big prospects for a sequel. But fans will have to wait and see which elements or storylines from the game will make it into a movie.
While Derek Connolly, who worked on the ‘Jurassic World’ movie trilogy, wrote the first draft of the script, it has since been through the hands of T.S. Nowlin, who collaborated with Ball on several ‘Maze Runner’ movies.
Who else is working on the movie adaptation?
‘The Legend of Zelda.’ Photo: Nintendo.
The film will be produced by Miyamoto, who these days is Representative Director and Fellow of Nintendo, and Avi Arad, Chairman of Arad Productions Inc, who has a number of big movies on his resume.
Here’s what Miyamoto previously posted to twitter about the movie:
“This is Miyamoto. I have 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. It will take time until its completion, but I hope you look forward to seeing it.”
This isn’t the first time someone has looked to adapt the ‘Zelda’ games. There was chatter that Nintendo would work on a series for Netflix, but that has so far not come to pass.
Speculation on casting for the project has been rampant, with many fans taking to social media to name ‘Euphoria’s Hunter Schafer as their pick for the part of Zelda. Deadline’s sources have said that Mason Thames and Brady Hepner were two other finalists for the role of Link.
Where else have we seen Bo Bragason and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth?
(L to R) Bo Bragason as Roxy Trotter and Florence Keen as George Trotter in Disney’s RENEGADE NELL, Season 1, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Chiabella James. © 2024 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
UK actor Bragason might be best known to US audiences from Prano Bailey-Bond’s Sundance horror movie ‘Censor’ and Euros Lyn’s vampire pic ‘The Radleys’.
She has also been in Disney+ historical comedy adventure series ‘Renegade Nell’ and crime drama ‘The Jetty’.
Upcoming, she’ll be seen in Prime Video’s YA drama series ‘Sterling Point’ from ‘My Old Ass’ writer/director Megan Park.
Ainsworth, meanwhile, has been seen in the likes of ‘Flora & Ulysses’, the 2022 live-action/CG take on ‘Pinocchio’ and this year’s comedy drama ‘Everything’s Going to Be Great,’ which starred Allison Janney and Bryan Cranston.
Alongside those, he’s appeared in shows including ‘The Sandman’, ‘Son of a Critch’ and ‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’.
His next project to see screens will be crime thriller ‘Blood on Snow’, from director Cary Joji Fukunaga, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Eva Green and Benedict Cumberbatch. We’re still waiting to learn when it’ll be in theaters.
When will ‘The Legend of Zelda’ be in theaters?
With cast in place and production due to begin shortly, the movie now has an official release date on the books.
‘The Legend of Zelda’ will be venturing into theaters on May 7th, 2027.
‘The Legend of Zelda.’ Photo: Nintendo.
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