By Last month came some not-unexpected news – in the wake of the success of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” Nintendo was moving forward with an adaptation of “The Legend of Zelda”.
However, it wasn’t another animated film at Universal – rather it’s a live-action feature Nintendo is planning with Sony Pictures. Both companies are co-financing and with Shigeru Miyamoto and Avi Arad set to produce.
It was also revealed at the time that “The Maze Runner” helmer Wes Ball has been set to direct from a script by Derek Connelly (“Kong: Skull Island,” “Jurassic World”).
Ball recently spoke with Entertainment Weekly about the film and says he sees the fantasy film as being less Tolkien and more Studio Ghibli-inspired:
“This awesome fantasy-adventure movie that isn’t like ‘Lord of the Rings,’ it’s its own thing. 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.
It’s going to be awesome. 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.”
Ball is currently in post-production on “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” which opens in cinemas in May and he was asked if ‘Zelda’ will be next for him once ‘Apes’ is out. He says:
“We’re working on the script, and whether it’s the next one or not, it’s hard to say exactly. But certainly the plan is, after ‘Apes’ is done, to have a little bit of a rest for a moment, and then dive into [Zelda] and hopefully give fans what they’re hoping for, and also invite new people in. I think Nintendo’s desire is to introduce people to this world that’s been around for 40 years now.”
The game series follows Link, the courageous Master Sword-wielding hero of the kingdom of Hyrule which also includes the wise Princess Zelda. On his adventures, Link clashes with the dark lord Ganondorf who seeks the power of a sacred relic known as the Triforce.
No word on casting for the film at present.
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