The Legend of Zelda movie reveals first official look at Link and Princess Zelda

Nintendo fans rejoice, as we have the first look at the live-action The Legend of Zelda movie that will bring one of the most iconic games of all time to the big screen!

After so long a history of terrible adaptations, video games are finally getting their due on both the big and small screens. We’ve seen box office hits in The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Sonic the Hedgehog, while TV has given us The Last of Us and Fallout, with Resident Evil still trying for a reboot. In other words, the time is ripe for adapting one of the most famous game series in history, and there's finally a first look at it!

Today Nintendo posted a special announcement to the Nintendo Today app, revealing the first on-set photos of the upcoming The Legend of Zelda movie, currently filming in New Zealand. They include Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as the hero Link and Bo Bragason as Princess Zelda herself. The announcement came (fittingly) from the game’s creator, Shigeru Miyamoto. 

“This is Miyamoto," he wrote. "Filming is underway for the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda in a lush, natural setting, with Bo Bragason-san who will play Zelda and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth-san who will play Link. Filming is on track for the film’s release on May 7, 2027. It will take a while until the release, so we would be grateful if you would wait patiently and look forward to it.”

Many fans are looking forward to this, and it appears to be worth the wait, as the images are promising an adventure as epic as the games themselves.

Why The Legend of Zelda movie is a huge event

Next to Mario, no other character is associated with Nintendo as strongly as Link. It all started with 1986’s The Legend of Zelda, one of the first titles for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) that became an instant smash hit. 

The bare bones plotline of the game is that in the kingdom of Hyrule, the evil demon Ganon wants to use the mystical Tri-Force to gain ultimate power. That involves abducting Princess Zelda, with young newbie warrior Link going on a quest to save her. 

The game was a breakthrough for the time from combat to the open world map, letting you choose your path and save your progress via a battery pack rather than play in one go, as was usual for the time. Since then, there have been 21 installments spanning every Nintendo system. That includes the acclaimed and award-winning Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, with the latest installment, 2024’s Echoes of Wisdom, letting gamers play as Zelda for the first time. There’s also been a1989 animated series, numerous anime, and more. 

It’s unclear yet if the movie will adapt one of the games or be an original tale inspired by them. The images are intriguing, as Link is in his classic green outfit without his signature cap, while Zelda is in her blue dress but with a bow and arrow. Perhaps in this incarnation, Zelda is more of a warrior and mentor to Link, who teaches him how to be a hero. 

The only other announced cast member is Severance's Dichen Lachman as Impa, the pair’s aid. We don’t even know yet if the villain is Ganon, although it’s hard to imagine a Zelda movie without him. The movie is directed by Wes Ball, known for The Maze Runner films and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and thus excellent to handle a special effects-driven extravaganza. New Zealand is a perfect setting to bring Hyrule to life. Hopefully we see some of the games’ iconic locations. 

There is some concern among fans about the game being live-action rather than animated. While Link and Zelda have long been more “human” than other Nintendo characters, it’s harder to see this working in live-action, while animation could let it cut loose. However, just seeing Zelda on the big screen will be an event and prove that video game adaptations have come a long way!

The Legend of Zelda premieres in theaters May 7, 2027.