Live Action The Legend of Zelda movie in development

If this was animated, I would say Taron Edgerton, but since this is live action, I would go with an unknown actor as Link. Question is, how old do we think he will be?

The Owl House and Coyote Vs Acme are my Roman Empire.

I strongly feel that Orlando Bloom should be involved in some way. Apparently he's actually a human who wore elface for the Lord of the Rings movies so he has visibly aged since then, but it would still be cool to give him some sort of role.

Ukrainian Red Cross

I'd give it, around eighteen? Link is generally meant to be young, but I doubt they'd go with a kid version in live action, honestly.

Wake me up at your own risk.

Most Zelda games have a bunch of dungeons that you play through one after the other, collecting a number of MacGuffins, an element that probably won't get translated to the big screen, so I expect to get more plot relevant stuff instead.

I do wonder what the tone is going to be like. Zelda can be kinda dark sometimes. Not usually for long stretches, but it's not afraid to have spooky bits now and again.

Edited by WillKeaton on Nov 9th 2023 at 11:25:44 AM

Personally I would have preferred it if we got a Zelda anime instead because that could be honed and developed over time and allow for a grander and longer story with better character development.

Fingers crossed that this ends up being great. Because it could end up awful.

I discover my own destiny as I command the winds of life!

I'll say it now: regardless of whether or not it's based on Oo T, the movie will have Zelda as Sheik(but the name will be changed for the movie). And Sheik will be links companion until the reveal in the third act which is when zelda is kidnapped proper.

Ocarina of Time probably makes the most sense for a movie, but at the same time that story is super long. In this

alone we hit 3 hours and 26 minutes. That's a pretty damn long movie. Granted a lot of this is gameplay which would be different in an actual movie where we have character interactions, banter and maybe some montages but still. If you want this story to be great it needs to be 3-4 hours long which is VERY unlikely to happen.

We're talking about something that needs to be a Lord of the Rings level production. Which is a lot to ask for, but something that is kind of essential if you wanna do Zelda in live action justice. And this is just Ocarina of Time. Something like Breath of the Wild or Twilight Princess would be even harder to pull off.

I feel like Wind Waker (which would look worse in live action in all probability) or Majora's Mask (with its relatively contained story) would work better under a runtime of about 2-3 hours but that is also a lot to ask for since audiences need to be convinced that you can deliver a movie to earn that runtime. And those games are effectively niche to general audiences.

If they try to make the movie under 2 hours....this will probably just straight up suck. The pacing will be a massive issue.

Edited by Patar136 on Nov 9th 2023 at 11:36:00 AM

I discover my own destiny as I command the winds of life!

I doubt they will adapt a game whose setting is a major departure from the norm. So games like Links awakening, Oracle of seasons/ages, Skyward sword or Windwaker are unlikely. We can also rule out minish cap and 4 swords. These would make sense for an animated movie but not live action.

The first game, link to the past, Oo T and Botw are the most likely candidates. Regardless of which game they adapt, we are unlikely to see more than three dungeons (a forest, death Mt, ganons castle). Maybe a water dungeon/area.

Mario didn't adapt a game directly, and I see no possibility of this being a direct adaptation of something either. They're going to pick and choose elements from different games, but then use those to tell a original story.

I could see an adaptation of A Link to the Past, or at least something similar to it like how A Link Between Worlds was similar to ALTTP but different enough to not be a remake.

Ocarina and Majora's Mask would be cool but not work as a movie, I don't think. They'd be better served as TV series.

Oissu!

A Zelda movie should not be based on any game. It should be its own story. I mean, the story has a basic formula.

Ganon/Ganondorf goes after a MacGuffin (usually the Triforce) and uses its power to become all powerful and create an army of demons to take over Hyrule. Princess Zelda tasks Link to save Hyrule by going on a quest across the land to gather a counter-MacGuffin (usually the Master Sword) to stop Ganon.

The only thing malleable is what Zelda's role would be in the film. I purpose her being a companion to Link's quest in the same manner as Princess Peach was to Mario in the Super Mario Bros Movie. After all, there's no more BS excuse of BOTW gameplay being incompatible to have two characters traveling together instead of one.

Plus for all the Ze Link shippers out there, a movie that features Zelda and Link facing setbacks and obstacles and helping one another with the two growing feelings for one another as they break each other's barriers and persevere against overwhelming odds, the narrative of a movie could work in this story's favor.

Though I gotta say I do kind of wish it was a Lord of the Rings style treatment. But that is again, a lot to ask for.

If we wanted Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess what have you, I think an anime is the better approach. But hey, maybe this movie succeeding could allow for these adaptations to happen.

I discover my own destiny as I command the winds of life!

They should adapt Link's Crossbow Training.

Trust no one.

It’s hard to believe this is happening. I still remember when this project was dead and buried with the Imagi test footage the only attempt for years!

I’d still prefer if it was animated though.

Everybody loves the me! I’m a great athlete!

So would I. But at the same time, animators are being overworked and not respected.

But considering how great Spider-Verse is....if they could do that with Zelda I would be blown away. Because often time the best thing about Zelda is the artstyle.

I discover my own destiny as I command the winds of life!

Here's an idea I had. At the start of the movie, Link is a (surprisingly well-groomed) Wild Man who defends the Lost Woods from monsters with mostly improvised weapons. This particular Link is mute, and has worked out a sign language to speak to his Korok friends. (The story works just as well with Kikwi or Kokiri in place of Koroks; if you prefer one of those, do a mental sed). Recently, there have been rather a lot of monster incursions.

One day, Zelda and Impa arrive, fleeing Ganondorf's forces. They run into Link and the three fight off the monsters; Link by exploiting the environment, Impa with ninja skills, and Zelda with magic, though it's clear Zelda is inexperienced. They go to see the Great Deku Tree, hoping to find the legendary Master Sword, but it turns out it was removed many years ago by the Yiga Clan. Quest time!

Zelda, Impa, and Link set out, accompanied by a talkative Korok (or fairy, but we've established the Koroks) who can translate Link's sign language. This gives us the opportunity for funny character moments, such as:

Link: signs
Korok: He says you should consider...
Link: shakes head, signs more forcefully
Korok: He says you have no idea what you're talking about.

As they travel, Link teaches sign language to Zelda, who picks it up rather quickly. There will be funny misunderstandings.

Link and Zelda's character arcs are based around each adopting the other's Triforce trait. Rather than having to face Hus fears and find courage, this Link has an overabundance of courage, and keeps leaping recklessly into battle; over the course if the story, he comes to learn the value of caution and carefully considering one's actions. Zelda, in contrast, is very good about seeing the bigger picture, but as this is her first time out on her own, she is timid and has problems with standing up and taking action; she needs to build up the courage to apply her wisdom.

The first trial comes when some monsters capture Impa, and it's up to Link and Zelda to save her. Impa can break out easily, but chooses not to, as she thinks it will be good for Link and Zelda to overcome a challenge on their own.

The main characters reach the edge of the Gerudo Desert and run unto some rebels who oppose Ganondorf. We learn that Ganondorf assassinated the previous queen to take the throne. With the rebels' help, the heroes find the Yiga Clan hideout, and decide to sneak in by having Impa disguise herself as a Yiga and pretending Link and Zelda are her prisoners. They free some other prisoners, stage a jailbreak, and the Gerudo rebels attack.

The heroes break into the Yiga restricted area where they are keeping the Master Sword. This sequence plays out like a traditional dungeon, with the heroes having to avoid traps, solve puzzles, and defeat monsters, all justified as obstacles specifically placed to keep intruders out. The heroes require both wisdom to disarm the traps, and courage to fight the monsters.

On the bottom floor, they find the Master Sword, still embedded in a stone pedestal that has resisted every Yiga attempt to remove it. Zelda tried to pull it our but is unable to do so. Then a bunch of monsters break in. Link makes a desperate grab for it and does manage to pull it out, and as he does so, the Triforce of Courage appears on his hand. He defeats the monsters, and Impa reasons that as they now have both the Master Sword and a Triforce of their own, they might be able to defeat Ganondorf.

So they make the return journey, likely picking up Goron, Zora, and Rito allies along the way. They fight/infiltrate their way into Hyrule Castle and confront Ganondorf, who promptly traps Zelda in some sort of magical crystal type thing. Link fights Ganondorf, while Zelda studies the crystal and works out how to shatter it, freeing herself; as she does so, the Triforce of Wisdom manifests on her hand. Link and Zelda defeat Ganondorf together and tge day is saved.

(I don't think Ganondorf needs amt characterization beyond Dark Lord).

Ukrainian Red Cross

Link is either going to be a villager with dreams of being a knight/hero/adventurer, a squire at hyrule castle, or a child/person raised in a kokori forest.

I think that a movie like this will need to be a good 3 hour runtime because that gives us the opportunity to explore the wonder of Hyrule and get to flesh out a grand story quest.

I feel like side characters to join our main trio of Link, Zelda and Impa could include a fairy, a Korok, a Goron, a Zora, a Rito and a Gerudo warrior. The story should involve the characters recruiting party members after they overcome trials that test their strength. Maybe they are all united in a “Council of Elrond) scene that creates the party. This is a story where Link can see how much bigger the world is compared to where he started from. And plus it allows for a fun range of characters of differing personalities and beliefs.

A Goron like Daruk is a barbarian who would smash through his enemies because that makes sense to him. A Gerudo like Urbosa can be a woman in arms who can fight with anything. When she’s not using her sword she could be using improvised weapons like Link to show that she is equally dangerous in a variety of scenarios. And then the Rito like Revali is the fucking anime character.

Each character should teach Link or Zelda a lesson throughout the story. Maybe the Zora teaches Link that he needs to be more flexible at times if he wants to get what he wants in life. Maybe the Goron teaches Zelda that people enjoy the small things in life just as much as the big things.

Again, this should be a Lord of the Rings style epic. It should involve an expansive world and lore and our characters should be fun gateways into that lore.

I discover my own destiny as I command the winds of life!

You're describin tv shows when this is more likely to be under two hours

I'm hoping this is an epic film. Because anything less just doesn't impress me.

I would love to be wrong but I doubt it.

I discover my own destiny as I command the winds of life!

Does it need to be? Zelda is great. But outside like Wind waker and Twlight princess. The plot has never been super important to the games.

"That's right mortal. By channeling my divine rage into power, I have forged a new instrument in which to destroy you."

I feel like the only real decent adaptation potential for a Zelda movie is the very first game.

It doesn't need to be grand or epic, but it also doesn't have to be ultra cartoony like, say, Triforce Heroes.

What will probably actually happen is a condensed version of Ocarina of Time that will feel like a Cliffnotes of the game.

I feel like this could be anywhere quality wise. Probably not as bad as something like live action Last Airbender nor as good as something like Lord of the Rings.

Probably be as good as the recent Mario movie.

I discover my own destiny as I command the winds of life!

This is not much of anything, but food for thought: on a red carpet for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (twitter link, ignore the goofy IGN editing...or don't), Owen Teague (who is 25) claims Wes Ball said he was too old to play Link. Not that we should take any random preproduction comments super seriously, but I'm going to be interested if they manage to find (or make, in the process) a teenage action star.

(I don't think that necessarily kills the rumors of Freya Allan (22) as Zelda, who can probably afford to be a little older)

Edited by Synchronicity on May 16th 2024 at 2:36:43 PM

He also didn’t respond to questions about his favorite Zelda game. Smart. Keep them guessing.

The Owl House and Coyote Vs Acme are my Roman Empire.