The Legend Of Zelda Movie Has Found Its Link And Zelda, And It's Not Who You'd Expect

By Rafael Motamayor
Links stands guard while Zelda looks up to him in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo

Video games adaptations are the new gold rush in Hollywood. After all, some of the biggest hits of the past few years have been movies based on beloved video games, whether it's the animated "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," the "Sonic the Hedgehog" trilogy (which has managed to both surprise and delight fans, all while getting Jim Carrey to postpone his retirement from acting), or, most recently, the box office juggernaut that was "A Minecraft Movie."

Now, it's time for one of the most celebrated video game franchises of all time to make its big-screen debut: "The Legend of Zelda." Director Wes Ball (best known for the "Maze Runner" trilogy and "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes") has been tapped to direct the first live-action adaptation of the video game created by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. Ball has previously stated that his desire is to make a movie that feels like "live-action Miyazaki" which is an incredibly high bar to clear.

With a director already in place, "Legend of Zelda" has now taken the next logical step forward and cast its leads. Indeed, Miyamoto himself took to social media to announce who will play both Zelda and Link (who, remember, are entirely different people!).

"I am pleased to announce that for the live-action film of 'The Legend of Zelda,' Zelda will be played by Bo Bragason-san, and Link by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth-san," Miyamoto stated via the official Nintendo X (formerly Twitter) account. "I am very much looking forward to seeing both of them on the big-screen."

Granted, this is a major surprise for everyone who was expecting the film to go the "Super Mario Bros. Movie" route and cast huge stars in its lead roles. In fact, "Euphoria" star Hunter Schafer was a decidedly popular fancast for the role of Princess Zelda, while a fancast from Hell a more ill-advised fan campaign had been trying to get the movie's casting directors to recruit Tom Holland as Link.

Legend of Zelda will feature newcomers as Link and Zelda (which makes sense)

Miles has an evil look in his eye while Dani watches him in The Haunting of Bly Manor Netflix

Admittedly, it's pretty disappointing that Schafer wasn't cast as Zelda, primarily because few actors have that ethereal, otherworldly look that Schafer brings to her roles — one that is both approachable yet quirky and fantastical. (Just look at her brief but memorable appearance as Tigris in "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.")

Still, it makes sense to go with young newcomers here. For one, hiring younger actors will allow the production to account for potential sequels in the event the movie does well — and truly, we desperately need more fantasy franchises on the big screen. Though "The Legend of Zelda" is supposedly coming out in just two years and Schafer is only 26, it's easy to understand why the film's producers wouldn't be super excited about the idea of potentially having a movie trilogy where Princess Zelda is in her mid-30s by the final film. (Not to mention, rumor has it Schafer is currently up for a major role in Marvel Studios' "X-Men" reboot.) Sure, an Old Man Link movie could definitely work, but Zelda and Link tend to always look like teenagers or, at the most, people in their early 20s in the "Legend of Zelda" games (even the ones that span a long passage of time).

As such, relatively little-known actors it is. Bo Bragason, as it were, is best known for the BBC One show "Three Girls" and the Disney+ series "Renegade Nell." Meanwhile, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth voiced Pinocchio in Robert Zemeckis' cursed live-action "Pinocchio," in addition to playing Miles in Mike Flanagan's "The Haunting of Bly Manor." Granted, Ainsworth already played a silent, stoic character in that show, though he was definitely more of a possessed evil child than a noble warrior in it.

"The Legend of Zelda" is set to hit theaters on May 7, 2027, having been delayed from its initial March 2027 date for "production reasons" (as Nintendo stated at the time).

Recommended