Today, gaming icon Shigeru Miyamoto revealed who will be playing Zelda and Link in the upcoming Legend of Zelda movie, based on Nintendo's long-running fantasy RPG franchise. "I am pleased to announce that for the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda, Zelda will be played by Bo Bragason-san, and Link by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth-san," Miyamoto wrote on X. "I am very much looking forward to seeing both of them on the big screen."
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
Bo Bragason (Three Girls, Renegade Nell) and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (The Haunting of Bly Manor, Flora & Ulysses) are both young British actors, which tracks; The Legend of Zelda is set in the mystical land of Hyrule, which is not Britain. But the franchise does have a vaguely medieval fantasy feel, which basically means it's British unless proven otherwise. Although if the movie stays true to the games, Link won't say a word beyond a few grunts and exclamations.
I wouldn't be surprised if they changed that, but then again, it's hard to know in what direction a live-action Legend of Zelda movie might go in. The Zelda games have been coming out regularly since 1986 and no two are quite alike, although they generally share a few things in common. They're set in Hyrule, they usually involve Princess Zelda being kidnapped and the heroic Link setting out on a mission to save her, and the villain of the hour is usually Ganon, a giant, pig-like monster who used to be a malevolent sorcerer named Ganondorf.
Will we get Ganon? Will we get Ganondorf? Will we get both? Will the movie feature time travel like Ocarina of Time? Will it be set on a vast ocean like Wind Waker? Will Hyrule be post-apocalyptic like in Breath of the Wild? Miyamoto and director Wes Ball (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes) have a ton of choices.
I'm unclear on whether Bo Bragason and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth are in costume as Zelda and Link in the pictures that Miyamoto shared. Bragason is wearing blue and Ainsworth is wearing what could be a tunic, and they're both standing in front of greenery. All of that gives of Legend of Zelda vibes. But if those pics are from the actual movie, it means that Link will have dark hair, which will break with a long tradition of depicting him as blonde. The jury's out on all that.
In any case, The Legend of Zelda movie will land in theaters on May 7, 2027.
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