The highly anticipated live-action movie based on the hugely successful video game series The Legend of Zelda was formally revealed by gaming behemoth Nintendo on Wednesday. The film, which is being co-financed by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Nintendo, is being directed by Wes Ball, who is best known for his work on The Maze Runner series and the upcoming Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
Producer of Legend of Zelda and representative director at Nintendo Shigeru Miyamoto will produce the movie with Avi Arad, who produced critically successful movies like Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, which won an Oscar. “It will take time until its completion, but I hope you look forward to seeing it,” said an excited Miyamoto.
Nintendo’s shares saw a notable increase of 6.46% during Wednesday’s trading after the announcement, which was the company’s largest intraday gain in over three years.
Since its launch in 1986, the beloved video game series The Legend of Zelda has enthralled viewers with its magical realm of Hyrule and the exploits of its protagonist, Link. With 19 games and 3 remakes, the franchise has sold over 130 million copies worldwide. Some of the greatest video games ever made are recent releases, such as The Legend of Zelda: The Breath of the Wild from 2017 and Tears of the Kingdom, the follow-up from 2022.
A Legend of Zelda movie has long been anticipated, and interest has been heightened by Nintendo’s defensive posture after the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie. But after Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. movie made over $1 billion at the worldwide box office last year, the corporation is also producing visual material for its renowned IP.
Nintendo said, “By getting deeply involved in the movie production with the aim to put smiles on everyone’s faces through entertainment, Nintendo will continue its efforts to produce unique entertainment and deliver it to as many people as possible.”
