Still excited from the huge success of the Super Mario Bros. movie, Shigeru Miyamoto has officially confirmed that a live-action The Legend of Zelda movie is currently in development.
Details are still limited, but Miyamoto made the announcement on Nintendo Japan’s Twitter/X account, stating that the project has been in the works for several years. According to a press release, Miyamoto will produce the movie, which is being co-financed by Nintendo and Sony Pictures Entertainment, with Avi Arad, known for producing many hit films, also on board.
Arad’s films are predominantly in the superhero genre, including recent hits like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Uncharted, Venom, and more.
Nintendo’s live-action Zelda adaptation will be directed by Wes Ball, known for the Maze Runner films and next year’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. However, fans shouldn’t expect to see the movie in theaters anytime soon, as Miyamoto mentioned, “It will take time until its completion, but I hope you look forward to seeing it.”
(Minor article update not in Nintendo’s original press release: Deadline reports Derek Connolly – whose screenplay contributions include Jurassic World, Detective Pikachu, and Kong: Skull Island – will be penning the Zelda adaptation.)
“By getting deeply involved in the movie production with the aim to put smiles on everyone’s faces through entertainment,” Nintendo added, “[the company] will continue its efforts to produce unique entertainment and deliver it to as many people as possible.”
The news of The Legend of Zelda movie comes on the heels of the immensely successful release of this year’s animated Super Mario Bros. Movie, which has grossed over $1.3bn USD worldwide and was the highest-grossing film of 2023 for a significant portion of the year. It was only surpassed by Barbie in September.