'Legend of Zelda' live-action movie finds its Zelda and Link

The live-action “Legend of Zelda” movie has found its stars.
Legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, who's an executive producer on the film, announced Wednesday on X that Bo Bragason will portray Princess Zelda and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth will play Link in Nintendo and Sony's film. Miyamoto created the hit video game series with Takashi Tezuka.
British actor Bo Bragason is known for her roles in BBC One’s “Three Girls” and “The Jetty,” as well as Disney+’s “Renegade Nell” and the 2024 vampire comedy “The Radleys.”
AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_in2adkalhb5fiv5vddbH1_ iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_12n2adkalhb5fiv5vddbH1_ iframeAinsworth, also from the U.K., voiced Pinocchio in Disney+’s live-action “Pinocchio” in 2022 and played Miles in Netflix’s “The Haunting of Bly Manor.” He also stars in the Canadian series “Son of a Critch” and the comedy “Everything’s Going to Be Great.”
Read more: Mario's 'dad' Shigeru Miyamoto on 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie' and watching his creation grow beyond him
The actors’ young ages — 21 and 16 — have sparked fan speculation that the film may draw from “The Wind Waker” or “Ocarina of Time” games, which feature Zelda and Link as teens.
While initially slated for a March 2027 release, production delays have shifted the film’s launch to May 7, 2027.
AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_l72adkalhb5fiv5vddbH1_ iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_1572adkalhb5fiv5vddbH1_ iframeThe project is helmed by director Wes Ball, known for the “Maze Runner” trilogy and “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.” A huge fan of the franchise, Ball told Entertainment Weekly in late 2023 that he wanted to create something more akin to “a live-action Miyazaki” than “The Lord of the Rings.”
“That wonder and whimsy that he brings to things, I would love to see something like that,” he told EW about the renowned Japanese animator.
Avi Arad is also producing the film.
Read more: 'Super Mario Bros. Movie' composer levels up: 'I want this score to be my 'E.T.''
The adaptation marks Nintendo’s second big-screen foray after 2023's mega-successful “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” The animated film grossed about $1.4 billion worldwide.
AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_on2adkalhb5fiv5vddbH1_ iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_18n2adkalhb5fiv5vddbH1_ iframeThe action-adventure video game franchise, released in 1986, follows young hero Link on his quests to rescue Princess Zelda and overcome the villain Ganon. Missions include navigating dungeons, solving puzzles and taking on an array of enemies.
Celebrated for its innovative gameplay, installments of the popular game include “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” and “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.” In the years since, the franchise has expanded beyond video games and into other media like animated series and comic books, and now film.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.