Wes Ball Is A Fantastic And Fascinating Choice To Direct A Legend Of Zelda Movie
Yesterday, I emerged from a personal errand, made the mistake of opening social media, and saw my particular corner of the internet in an uproar. They were finally making a live-action movie based on the beloved "Legend of Zelda" video game series ... and Wes Ball was directing it. And everyone seemed to be grumbling about that.
Granted, my particular bubble does not necessarily represent the wider world, but I honestly thought my particular bubble would know better. In fact, I've rarely been more disappointed in my particular bubble! My particular bubble is supposed to know a thing or three about movies and the people who make them. So the wave of negativity and instant cynicism I saw surrounding this announcement made me realize I was going to have to write the article you're reading right now. This is your fault. Sorry.
Anyway: Wes Ball is an inspired choice to direct a "Legend of Zelda" movie, and his hiring to spearhead a major movie franchise on this scale has been a long time coming. A lot of things can go wrong. It takes an army to make a film. But Ball is the exact kind of filmmaker you want at the head of a "Zelda" movie and I'm honestly pretty thrilled about it. You should be too.
A link to the past
Okay, I get why some folks reacted so strongly and negatively. "The Legend of Zelda" is one of the greatest video game series of all time (and a strong contender for the absolute greatest), and several generations of gamers have passionate, often nostalgic feelings for its many entries. There's never been a truly bad "Zelda" game and the series has evolved so effortlessly over the years that everyone has their own head-canon about the story of Link and the land of Hyrule, and what it should feel like.
Everyone has a favorite Zelda game, which means everyone has a completely different picture in their head when it comes to what defines this world (I always default to "Ocarina of Time," personally, which should tell you exactly how old I am). To me, "The Legend of Zelda" is defined by its sense of place — a fantasy world that feels lived-in, populated by eccentric characters you quickly love and dangerous locations that feel like they've been there forever. At its core, beyond the action and the puzzles and the quests, "Zelda" is a story about navigating a landscape that is so much bigger than you, one entirely capable of chewing you up and spitting you out. Link, the non-verbal protagonist of every game in the series, is your avatar for exploration. It's a game series about the beauty and terror of discovery.
And this is exactly what Ball did so well in his previous movies ... and he did it with a world that has a lot less history and built-in fascination than "Zelda."
It's dangerous to go alone
Wes Ball has made three feature films: "The Maze Runner" and its two sequels, "The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials" and "The Maze Runner: The Death Cure." Unlike so many other YA book adaptations that were rushed out in the wake of the culture-rocking success of "The Hunger Games," these three movies were not phoned-in cash grabs from filmmakers checking off a series of boxes. I can't tell you a thing about the plots of these movies, which dash through all of the expected YA sci-fi tropes of the era, but I can tell what I vividly remember. I remember how each film showcases a sense of scope and grandeur, with a focus on how the cast of characters interacts with, and survives, their environment. I remember the sturdy action, which was cleanly blocked, easy to follow, and more intense than much bigger movies made by much bigger directors. I remember how each movie felt like a bona fide quest, truly selling a journey across a world that actually felt vast.
With the "Maze Runner" movies, Wes Ball was handed a trilogy that could've, and perhaps should've, been a lazy cash-in. Instead, he delivered proper adventure movies, each of them filled with exciting action, touches of genuine horror, and yes, that most important element: a proper sense of place. In these movies, I see a filmmaker who understands the wonder and terror of entering a "Zelda" dungeon, a space designed to baffle you, and then kill you. I see a filmmaker who has showcased an eye for how characters navigate environments. I see someone who has what I find valuable about "Zelda" in his bones.
(It doesn't hurt that Ball, born in 1980 and absolutely of the modern gamer generation, has clearly been thinking about this movie for a long time.)
The hero of time
Longtime /Film readers and /Film Daily podcast listeners may have heard me talk about Wes Ball before. Back in 2017, when he was set to adapt an adaptation of "Mouse Guard" (which sadly never entered production), I cited him as a filmmaker to watch, and someone who clearly had a truly big movie in him. I once even called him the ideal candidate to make a "Star Wars" movie, back when Lucasfilm was still pumping those out on the regular. Even if the YA-flavored world of the "Maze Runner" movies didn't do it for you, those films are so clearly made by someone with serious chops. Look past the window dressing and into the fundamentals of where he puts his camera, and how he stages his action (not to mention his ever-growing eye for delightful character actors to fill out the margins).
So I consider it my duty to keep banging this drum. After all, Ball's next film is "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes," which looks spectacular. It's clear that Ball isn't just taking any offer thrown his way. The "Maze Runner" movies were big enough that he probably could've jumped on a dozen different things. But he's clearly a filmmaker who knows his value. He snagged "Apes," one of the great movie franchises of all time. And now he's on "Zelda." The man clearly has a plan.
A lot can go wrong, of course. After "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," I'm not entirely convinced Nintendo understands the cinematic value of their characters, and I worry they will be their own worst enemy going forward. And Ball will need to collaborate alongside a literal army of folks to bring this movie to life. "The Legend of Zelda" isn't guaranteed to be a great movie, but it's taken a big and important first step by hiring a young, promising, exciting filmmaker with a giant well of talent and a lot to prove. The quest begins.