The Legend of Zelda Movie: Is Live-Action the right choice?

Nintendo has recently announced that a live-action movie version of The Legend of Zelda is in the works. While some fans are excited about this news, others are skeptical about how well the series will translate to a live-action format.

Earlier this year, there were talks and rumors about an animated version of The Legend of Zelda being worked on by Illumination. However, these rumors were dismissed by Illumination’s CEO, Chris Meledandri. Despite this, many still believe an animated version would be a more safer option than risking a poorly executed live-action adaptation.

Following the success of the Super Mario Bros movie, Nintendo may be eager to continue with their movie adaptations. However, creating a movie based on The Legend of Zelda could prove to be an even greater challenge, as the fanbase is divided about whether a live-action version would be successful. The responsibility of ensuring the fans’ satisfaction now falls on Miyamoto, Wes Ball, and Avi Arad, who will need to address many concerns to make the project a success.

Live-action VS. animated

Going for live-action with this movie puts a lot of pressure on the production team, which, hopefully, they are aware of. Many movies that are irritated by video games have not done very well; therefore, the fanbase’s skepticism is understandable.

Petitions have already been made online to have the project scrapped. The argument is that a live-action Zelda movie could damage the series, and it should stay untouched as it is. While the petition hasn’t been signed by that many so far, the fact that a petition actually exists is a fair warning signal in itself.

While the announcement of a Zelda movie was not a big surprise for many, the fact that Nintendo did not go for an animated surprised many. An animated version would have been a safer choice because of the following reasons:

1. The Super Mario Bros Movie was a great example of how Nintendo’s franchises work well with animated content and that they can do it well. By looking back at how the Mario movie did so well, I think Nintendo can see that a lot of that success comes from the fact that they chose the animated approach and picked a good studio to work on it (Illumination).
2. Animated content is generally more forgiving than live-action. Limiting the experience to live-action can make executing jokes, dramatic scenes, and even dialogues more challenging. If not done correctly, a live-action movie set in a fantasy environment risks drawing the audience out of the experience.
3. It will probably cost way more. A live-action movie of the caliber of Zelda needs well-designed props and set environments, which will undoubtedly cost millions of dollars. Animated movies are by no means cheap either, but it can – if executed properly – be a much cheaper option.
4. Casting actors for the roles is going to be a daunting task. Just like the time when the cast for The Super Mario Bros Movie was revealed, it will be met with a lot of skepticism. And that movie was animated. It’s not as simple as putting a blonde wig on an established actor like Tom Holland and assuming that he would be the perfect fit to play a live-action Link.

On the other hand, there are advantages to making a live-action movie. Here is a list of benefits:

1. The Zelda fanbase has been anticipating a live-action adaptation of the game franchise for quite some time now, although they have also been doubtful about it at the same time. However, with the introduction of voice-acted cinematic cutscenes in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, the Zelda franchise appears to be ready for a big-screen adaptation. The best way to narrate an epic story like Zelda‘s would probably be through live-action.
2. Live-action movies have the potential to be more impactful than animated movies. However, this point can be challenging to execute effectively. The success of a live-action movie largely depends on the talent of the filmmakers involved. It requires not only good scriptwriters, producers, and actors, but also skilled professionals in areas such as special effects, sound engineering, makeup artistry, and more. If all these elements come together seamlessly, a live-action movie can leave a bigger and more profound impact on the audience than an animated one.
3. If Nintendo intends to tell a serious, darker story based on The Legend of Zelda franchise, a live-action movie would probably be a better fit. The franchise has featured numerous somber, heavy, and dark storylines. Therefore, a more serious movie would be best presented through live-action.
4. Adventure-based action movies tend to perform better when produced in live-action. Just imagine if The Lord of the Rings trilogy had been an animated movie series, viewers might not have felt as immersed in the world of Middle Earth, as they did with the impressive landscapes and sceneries brought to life. Hyrule, just like Middle Earth, is a kingdom full of adventure, discovery, and magical mystery. If Nintendo wants to truly bring Hyrule to life and make it feel like a place that exists, a live-action movie would be the perfect medium.

Is a live-action Zelda worth the risk?

Ever since Nintendo decided to do a live-action movie based on the Super Mario Bros back in 1993, Nintendo fans has dreaded the thought of a new live-action movie based on a Nintendo franchise. And rightfully so, the movie turned out to be one of the most well-known catastrophes in movie history.

That was thirty years ago, though. A lot has changed since then.

Making high-quality movies today is a much easier task as long as you have the resources to do it. But that does not mean that it does not come with a risk factor.

Zelda games have a unique way of storytelling that may seem like cliche and too unrealistic to some people. Adapting that into a live-action format could potentially lead to unfortunate mistakes. In order to avoid those mistakes, the Zelda movie team would probably be best off trying to answer the following:

1. Look at the Zelda user base. What type of people play Zelda games? How old are they? What other types of games and movies are they drawn to? How do we please these types of people?
2. How do we draw in non-Zelda-related people? What kind of movie would make other people interested in this movie as well? How do we please the fans and, at the same time, make it an enjoyable experience for new people?
3. What type of movie direction fits this kind of audience best? Do we go with a more serious tone or a lighter and more comedic tone? Is it going to focus on a lot of action and adventure or more dialogue and story? Is it going to follow a lot of the game’s typical content like Links green tunic, The Master Sword, The Triforce etc, or is the movie going to try and be more innovative and try something completely new?

Shigeru Miyamotos role as producer

It’s been around 15-20 years since Shigeru Miyamoto was heavily involved in the Zelda series. The credit for shaping the series into what it is today goes to Eiji Aonuma. If Miyamoto is going to produce the film based on the franchise (as it seems), we can only hope that he understands the current essence of the series, rather than just what it used to be when he was its producer.

It was proven that Miyamoto could excel as an executive producer in the movie industry through his work on The Super Mario Bros Movie. However, it is uncertain how much influence he had on the final outcome of that film. Additionally, being a producer for an animated movie is not the same as being a producer for a live-action movie. We can only hope he does as good of a job with the Zelda movie.

Miyamoto‘s primary responsibility will likely be to ensure the movie meets Nintendo‘s expectations, similar to his role in recent Zelda games.

Avi Arad as a producer

Avi Arad is most known for his work on the Spiderman movies. He has been an executive producer for all the Tom Holland Spiderman movies and a producer for the Spider-verse movies. Additionally, he was a producer for The Uncharted movie, which is a movie adaptation of the PlayStation-based video game series.

While this seems like a good list of merits for a producer, the movies where he has worked as a producer have gained some criticism. Avi Arad produced the recently released Morbius and Venom movies, both of which have received mixed reviews.

The Spider-verse movies, also produced by Avi Arad, have received positive reviews. However, it’s worth noting that these movies are animated, which may have contributed to their success.

Is Tom Holland going to play Link?

There have been a lot of discussions, predictions, and wishful thinking about who shall play Link in the movie, and a name that keeps popping up is Tom Holland. While nothing has been confirmed about the actors in the movie, there actually could be a possibility that Tom Holland will be in the movie.

Avi Arad has worked on multiple Tom Holland movies in the past, like the Spider-Man movies and Uncharted, so Arad and Holland definitely have a good working history with each other within the industry.

Also: Sony has been confirmed to finance the movie and handle its worldwide distribution. Tom Holland has previously signed multiple contracts with Sony Pictures. Although there has been no official announcement about Holland’s current contractual obligations with Sony, there is a chance that he might star in a Zelda movie as part of a previous agreement with the company.

Wes Balls role as Director

Wes Ball may not be a widely recognized director, but his directorial work on the Maze Runner movies shows that he is capable of taking on a more challenging project such as a Zelda Movie. The first Maze Runner movie was well-received and considered a good film, although the sequels did not receive as much critical acclaim as the first one.

Wes Ball is currently directing the next installment in the Planet of the Apes franchise, titled Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. At this point, only a trailer has been released, and the success of the upcoming The Legend of Zelda film may hinge on how well Ball executes his work on this movie.

What we can gather from the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes trailer is that Wes Ball has a good grasp on creating quality content with CGI. This will likely play a significant role in the production of the Zelda movie. This actually leads us to the most interesting thing about Wes Balls as a director for a Zelda movie…

The Zelda movie may not be a live-action movie like you think

The definition of live-action is much wider than some people may think. With today’s technology, a movie can be partially animated and still be considered a full live-action movie.

Ever since Andy Serkis performance of Gollum in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, motion-captured performances have become increasingly common in both movies and games. Even today, a movie like Avatar, released 14 years ago, proves how a movie can be considered live-action but still have a huge amount of animated content with the help of motion capture. It is considered a live-action performance as long as live actors perform the characters’ motions and voices.

Not only is Wes Balls a huge fan of motion-capturing technology, but 14 years ago, he actually tweeted about how he wished for the next big motion-captured movie after Avatar to be, yes, you guessed it, The Legend of Zelda!

Now, Wes Ball’s may not be as huge of a director as James Cameron, the director of Avatar, but it certainly looks like he is a huge fan of The Legend of Zelda series. On top of that, if the upcoming release of Kingdom of the Planets of the Apes succeeds, Wes Balls‘s experience with motion-captured performances will be more than enough for a big motion-captured Zelda Movie.

If the team behind the movie is considering using motion-capture technology similar to that of Avatar, it may not be a cheap option. However, it would likely provide even more opportunities to the filmmakers. Issues like casting actors who fit the character descriptions would be easily resolved, and the unique physical features of the Hylian characters (such as their long ears and large eyes) could be seamlessly incorporated into the movie without requiring a single makeup artist on set.

It appears that a motion-captured film would be the best way to adapt The Legend of Zelda to the big screen. Director Wes Ball‘s interest and experience in this type of filmmaking suggest that this is the approach he would take. Although the first trailer for the movie may be years away, the safest bet is that the official first footage of Link in Hyrule will most likely be in an animated world captured with motion-capture technology.