The Legend of Zelda movie: Everything we know so far about the live-action movie

It's really happening – Nintendo has confirmed that a live-action The Legend of Zelda movie is in the making. Following in the footsteps of the huge success of adapting the Mario franchise, it seems the keys to the Zelda kingdom have been given away. And the person entrusted with them to bring the beloved characters to the big screen? Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes helmer Wes Ball.

While we don't have many more details and everyone involved is keeping as many secrets as possible, there have been some indications about where the adaptation will take the story. For all the latest on these, as well as everything we know about casting rumors and speculation as well as potential release dates, read on for our complete guide to The Legend of Zelda movie.

While you're at it, why not check out our guide to the best Zelda games of all time too.

The Legend of Zelda movie release date speculation

There is no release date yet for The Legend of Zelda movie. It was first announced in November 2023, but no casting or plot details have been confirmed in the period since then. As a result, it seems likely the movie is still pretty early in development and likely won't hit our screens for a while.

The only release date period that Nintendo has given for the movie is that it's expected to be released this decade. The company confirmed it will arrive before 2030 after it announced that another Super Mario Bros. movie would be released in 2026 in an earnings call back in late 2024.

As soon as production starts on the film, we'll be able to get a better idea of when it could be released in theaters. But for now, it seems like it will just be a waiting game.

The Legend of Zelda movie plot speculation – what game will it adapt?

One of the biggest questions hanging over The Legend of Zelda movie is about what game it might adapt and what story it might focus on. No details have been released by Nintendo on this one yet, but it seems pretty safe to assume it will feature main characters Zelda and Link.

While they've been adapted into plenty of different stories, some basics of the character remain the same across variations. Link is a member of the elf-like Hylian race and is often portrayed as a brave young man going on a journey to save the land of Hyrule. He's usually joined by Princess Zelda, whose bloodline is linked to the goddess Hylia. The major antagonist is predominantly Ganon, an evil warlord turned demon king who has nefarious plans to take over the world, often using a sacred relic called the Triforce. It's expected that the live-action movie will feature some of these key traits in the development of its story.

Beyond that, all we have to go off are some early teases from director Wes Ball. Speaking to Total Film back in 2024, Ball teased: "I have this awesome idea. I’ve been thinking about it for a long freakin’ time, of how cool a Zelda movie would be... I want to fulfill people’s greatest desires. I know it’s important, this [Zelda] franchise, to people and I want it to be a serious movie. A real movie that can give people an escape." He then added: "That’s the thing I want to try to create – it’s got to feel like something real. Something serious and cool, but fun and whimsical."

He also previously shared some rules he's bringing to the adaptation too. "Keep the money on the screen," Ball said of the things he's bringing from Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes to the new film. "Be ambitious. Be confident in the talent around you. Try to do something great."

Elsewhere, Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida simply teased that it will be "an amazing tale of adventure and discovery". While these are all exciting teases, they haven't revealed anything yet about what the story will be.

There are obviously plenty of sources that the movie could pull from. One of the most beloved takes on the story is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which won over fans with its epic open-world adventure. However, one of our writers is hoping that the movie leans more towards 1998’s Ocarina of Time to create a more grounded version of the story. It seems only time will tell what the movie will cover.

The Legend of Zelda movie cast speculation – who will play Link and Zelda?

The Legend of Zelda movie cast has not yet been confirmed, but that hasn't stopped fans from compiling their dream actors for the lead roles. We expect Zelda and Link will both appear in the film. For the former, one of the main actors who fans would love to see play the ethereal and brave Princess Zelda is Euphoria actor Hunter Schafer, who even addressed the possibility in a red carpet interview.

Speaking to Variety, she said: "That would be so cool. I love the game, personally. I played it as a kid and I still play it now. Who knows! That would be pretty cool." Other actors who fans have put forward for the role include The Witcher's Freya Allan, Saoirse Ronan, and Anya Taylor-Joy.

Meanwhile Link fan-casting has gone on for years with the people wanting the legendary hero to be played by everyone from Spider-Man star Tom Holland to Game of Thrones actor Thomas Brodie-Sangster. Variety even compiled a list from their contributors containing stars like Jacob Tremblay, Justice Smith, and Jacob Elordi.

No casting news or revelations from those involved in the creative development of the movie has been released yet. We'll keep you posted as soon as it is.

Is there a The Legend of Zelda movie trailer?

No, as no filming has begun on The Legend of Zelda movie yet, there is no trailer. We likely won't see any footage of the movie until much closer to its release date. Generally, films release their trailers a few months before they hit theaters, but sometimes with big releases they can arrive a bit earlier than that. As soon as cameras start rolling and a release date is confirmed, we'll have a better idea of when to expect a trailer.

The Legend of Zelda movie doesn't yet have a release date. In the meantime, check out our guides to all of the upcoming video game movies on the way and our picks for the best Switch games to play right now.