After decades of rumored live-action projects, “The Legend of Zelda” is finally getting an adaptation. With 29 video games (including ports, remakes, etc.), the endurance of the little elf that could is remarkable. First released as “The Legend of Zelda” for the Nintendo in 1985, the franchise has known life across every gaming platform known to man. Every convention the world over has at least 20 cosplayers as a character on any given weekend. It’s safe to say the world of Hyrule is a favorite.
Earlier this year it was announced a live-action feature film was finally in development, with “The Maze Runner” helmer Wes Ball set to direct. We don’t know much about what he has in store for us as far as story or casting goes, but we do know one point of reference he has in mind.
“This awesome fantasy-adventure movie that isn’t like Lord of the Rings, it’s its own thing,” Ball described while speaking about the film with Entertainment Weekly. “I’ve always said, I would love to see a live-action Miyazaki. That wonder and whimsy that he brings to things, I would love to see something like that.”
Yeah, we can see that. Various creatures, magics, and settings throughout the world of Zelda absolutely seem like something to be benefitted by a Miyazaki influence. And, to be fair, fan art showing exactly this is nothing new. (Like this Change.org petition from 2016 for a Studio Ghibli film.)
“It’s going to be awesome,” Ball continued. “My whole life has led up to this moment. I grew up on Zelda and it is the most important property, I think, that’s untapped IP, if you will. So we very much are working hard to do something. We’re not just trying to do it because we can. We want to make something really special.”
He’s not kidding, either. Back in 2010, Ball tweeted a rather prophetic thought-
Kind of amazing, really. The next big project we’ll see from Ball is the upcoming “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” which is due out May 24th, 2024. We’ll let you know what we hear about his Zelda project and other news.
