The Legend of Zelda Movie’s First Photos Are a Breath of (Wild) Fresh Air

It is no secret that Nintendo is extremely protective of its brands, and none more so than The Legend of Zelda. While children of the ‘80s might have some fondness for the most obnoxious, nasally line-reading of “well, excuuuse me, princess!” there’s a reason the obscure 1989 Zelda cartoon from whence it sprang never got a second season. And it’s the same reason that there has not been a Legend of Zelda movie. Until now.

In the first images of young Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link, the once and future Hero of Time, and Bo Bragason as Princess Zelda, it seems probable that there will be no quippy catchphrases in Wes Ball’s anticipated Legend of Zelda movie, due out in summer 2027. The film, which began production this month in Wellington, New Zealand, appears determined to project a stoic majesty befitting the gaming franchise’s reputation among Nintendo fans and gamers in general, as well as something that visually feels a lot closer to, say, Lord of the Rings than the animated and pop-culture-referencing obsessed Super Mario movies being produced by Illumination Animation.

Our first images of Bragason and Ainsworth also deliberately evoke multiple eras of Legend of Zelda canon. The only 17-year-old Ainsworth’s Link is draped in the classic green tunic that the character has worn in most Zelda games going back to the original NES classic, The Legend of Zelda (1986). However, Bragason’s Zelda is adorned in a blue tunic that better resembles both Link and Zelda’s matching attire from recent Nintendo Switch era masterpieces The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017) and Tears of the Kingdom (2023). The two also seem to have an intimate connection, with Link watching carefully over the princess, similar to the recent games where Link is introduced as Zelda’s champion and glorified bodyguard.

It is obviously far too early to speculate from these images alone as to whether this signals the movie is an adaptation of Breath of the Wild, but if we had to guess, we would suggest it is pulling from multiple eras. Personally, it might be wise to craft a narrative more reminiscent of Ocarina of Time’s nigh definitive telling of the Zelda legend in 1998, but with the setup and backstory of Breath of the Wild. Such a blending could go together as well as—well, green and blue tunics.

No matter the case, it is refreshing to see a Zelda adaptation tackling the material with the apparent weight and grandeur that Nintendo and its fans apply to the material. Both Bragason and Ainsworth are adorned with elfin ears and vaguely medieval fantasy costuming, and there is not a hint of self-deprecation or irony commiserate with how so many video game adaptations over the decades—or frankly plenty of modern video game and comic book movies—treat their source material. It would seem Ball is going for it in much the same way he maintained modern Planet of the Apes films’ sense of grounded conviction in 2024’s solid Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

It remains to be seen if Ball can actually make the material work, particularly when it is as porous and narratively ephemeral as the Legend of Zelda games. But the fact he isn’t going for the low-hanging fruit of self-effacement seen in Mario or Minecraft movies suggests the filmmaker’s approach is off to a good start.

The Legend of Zelda opens in theaters on May 7, 2027.