And so the legend begins. As is the case with most Nintendo projects (regardless of the media they are released in), The Legend of Zelda movie has been surrounded by a lot of secrecy since its announcement.
We already knew that House of the Dragon's Benjamin Evan Ainsworth was cast as Link and that Sterling Point's Bo Bragason joined the film as Princess Zelda. Beyond that, many questions remained unanswered, puzzling audiences worldwide about the project's direction and its narrative. But if there's one thing The Legend of Zelda fans love, it's a good puzzle.
It was heavily theorized that Ganondorf would be the film's main antagonist, given his prominence in the games. Granted, other antagonists like Vaati and Majora have taken the spotlight before, but they aren't nearly as iconic as the King of the Gerudo himself. Furthermore, set videos hinted that Impa would have a role to play in The Legend of Zelda movie. Now, not only have those suspicions been confirmed, but we also know who will bring these iconic characters to life.
Uli Latukefu will portray Ganondorf in The Legend of Zelda; Dichen Lachman, Yvonne Strahovski, and the late Sam Neill also join the cast
The Triforce of Power finally has a wielder. As reported by Deadline, Young Rock's Uli Latukefu will bring Ganandor to life in Sony's The Legend of Zelda. Additionally, Severance's Dichen Lachman also joined the film and is reported to portray the role of Impa (with the film's set videos doubling down on this idea).
This is where things start to get a bit tricky. The Handmaid’s Tale's Yvonne Strahovski will appear in The Legend of Zelda movie and play a "queen character," although no specific names were dropped. Video game players have never met Zelda's mother in Nintendo's iconic saga, so there's a chance the live-action film could finally change that, explaining Strahovski's mysterious role.
Another possibility is that we'll follow a narrative similar to The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, where audiences will explore a parallel dimension called Lorule. In the games, this dark reflection of Hyrule is ruled by Princess Hilda, although the film could simply change her title to "Queen." With that in mind, there's a slight chance that Strahovski portrays this antagonistic figure. After all, chances are Sony's live-action movie won't follow a conventional "Zelda" narrative due to its relatively short runtime, so introducing some story beats from A Link Between Worlds could definitely be the way to go.
Sam Neill—the legendary New Zealand actor who moved entire generations with his performance as Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park—will also appear in The Legend of Zelda. This will mark one of Neill's last big-screen roles after his unfortunate passing from pneumonia on July 13. While Neill will always be missed, he'll live on in the projects he helped bring to life, including Sony's upcoming movie. Although his role remains under wraps, he will likely portray the King of Hyrule, called Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This performance would certainly serve as a fitting end to a legendary career.
While this casting news is definitely welcome, it doesn't get us any closer to discovering what the story of The Legend of Zelda movie will actually be about. After all, Link, Zelda, Ganondorf, and Impa have appeared in no shortage of games. Furthermore, the King and Queen of Hyrule could be integrated into any story with ease. That being said, most of these characters have appeared across Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom—two recent titles that aren't as narrative-heavy as other installments in the saga and are thus perfect for an adaptation.
Perhaps we could see how The Great Calamity of Breath of the Wild played out and get a little glimpse of what Hyrule was like before tragedy struck. This would also explain why the live-action version of Zelda wears her iconic blue attire present in both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. But regardless of a potential narrative, it's nice to know that The Legend of Zelda movie has all the classic characters from the games, and we can't wait to see how it all pans out.
The Legend of Zelda will hit theaters on April 30, 2027.
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