The Legend Of Zelda First Look Images Revealed By Nintendo – See The Live-Action Link And Zelda Here

After much teasing, the live-action "The Legend of Zelda" movie has finally begun filming, and we now have our first official look at the film's young leads. We already knew Bo Bragason and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth were set to play Zelda and Link (it bears repeating: these are entirely different characters!), but these newly unveiled photos reveal what the actors actually look like in their full costumes as the iconic video game duo.

These images come from Nintendo itself, via its Nintendo Today news app (via IGN), and were released to celebrate the start of production on the live-action "The Legend of Zelda" adaptation in New Zealand. The project is being helmed by Wes Ball (who's known for the "Maze Runner" film trilogy and "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes"), with the director having previously stated that his goal is to make a "Zelda" movie that evokes the feeling of a "live-action Miyazaki." And given that Hayao Miyazaki's "Princess Mononoke" is essentially an animated "Zelda" movie, well, that sounds just about perfect.

Specific details on the film are under wraps for the time being, including where it falls in the larger "Zelda" timeline and who else will show up in the movie — but we do have some hints. Specifically, Link's outfit here seems suspiciously similar to his darker and more brooding look in "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess." At the same time, Zelda's outfit seems more inspired by "Breath of the Wild," which makes sense given just how absurdly popular and successful that game was for the greater franchise. Not to mention, it serves as an excellent entry point for newcomers, which is exactly what this movie needs to be as well.

A "Legend of Zelda" film, if done right, could give rise to the next big fantasy movie franchise. With "A Song of Ice and Fire" and "Lord of the Rings" mostly limited to TV for the time being (yes, "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum" is happening, but it's hard to imagine it being a proper epic), we are in desperate need of another huge fantasy epic on the big screen. There have been attempts at launching one over the years, for sure, but a movie based on this long-running video game property could be the one to finally bring back the early '00s fantasy trend birthed by Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" film trilogy.

After all, the "Legend of Zelda" video games have the scale, expansive mythology, world-building, creatures, and characters to warrant a big screen interpretation. Plus, filming in New Zealand should certainly help to ensure this movie has the same sense of epic scale and scope as Jackson's Middle-earth adventures.

Nintendo

On top of all that, Wes Ball is an inspired choice to direct "The Legend of Zelda," as he's already proven that he excels at inviting audiences into fantastical worlds worth exploring, complete with huge landscapes that feel lived-in and extend beyond the main story at hand. For now, though, we'll just have to be patient as we wait to learn more about the film, including whether the classic "Zelda" baddie Ganon will be showing up (and, if so, who's playing him).

"The Legend of Zelda" is scheduled to hit theaters on May 7, 2027.