Everything to Know About the Game’s Live-Action Adaptation

The Legend of Zelda is going from Hyrule to Hollywood.

The first Zelda video game, The Legend of Zelda, was released nearly 40 years ago, in February 1986. In the decades since, the adventures of Link and Princess Zelda have spawned numerous titles and spinoffs, making The Legend of Zelda one of the most popular video game franchises in history.

Following the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie in April 2023, it seemed only a matter of time before Nintendo brought The Legend of Zelda to the big screen. That November, it was confirmed that a live-action movie was in development, produced by Nintendo and Sony, per a press release.

More than two years after the official announcement, updates have been shared about the video game adaptation, including who will be playing Link and Zelda, as well as when the film will be released in theaters.

Here’s everything to know about The Legend of Zelda movie, including the release date and cast.

What game is The Legend of Zelda movie based on?

It has not been confirmed whether The Legend of Zelda movie will be based on a single game from the franchise or inspired by the overall story of Link saving Princess Zelda and the land of Hyrule from the evil sorcerer Ganon.

The first official photos from the film were unveiled in November 2025. The images feature Princess Zelda (Bo Bragason) and Link (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), looking reminiscent of the 2017 game, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Zelda’s blue costume also seems to be inspired by the princess’ look from that same game, per Collider.

When does The Legend of Zelda movie come out?

The Legend of Zelda will be released on May 7, 2027.

It was originally scheduled to hit theaters on Mar. 26, 2027, but was pushed back for “production reasons” as The Legend of Zelda co-creator Shigeru Miyamoto explained in a June 2025 X post.

“It will be some weeks later than the release timing we originally announced, and we will take the extra time to make the film as good as it can be,” he shared. “Thank you for your patience.”

Who is in the cast of The Legend of Zelda movie?

Benjamin Evan Ainsworth and Bo Bragason will play Link and Princess Zelda, respectively. Their casting was announced in July 2025.

Before bringing Link to life, Ainsworth played Miles in 2020’s The Haunting of Bly Manor, and was the voice of Pinocchio in the 2022 live-action remake of the Disney animated classic. He most recently starred opposite Bryan Cranston in the 2025 comedy drama, Everything’s Going to Be Great.

Bragason previously appeared in the 2024 Disney+ series Renegade Nell and the 2024 film The Radleys.

“I haven’t had any formal acting training, but being on set, it kind of feels like I have, because I’m learning from the greats,” Bragason, who has been acting since age 11, said on an October 2024 episode of the Deepest Dream podcast.

“I’m sitting back, just observing, watching what they’re doing and soaking that all in,” she continued. “Every role that I’ve done, I can truly say that I’m grateful for because they have kind of all been so different.”

In a July 2025 X post, Miyamoto wrote, “I am very much looking forward to seeing both of them on the big screen,” when announcing the stars of The Legend of Zelda.

Where is The Legend of Zelda movie being filmed?

The Legend of Zelda is being filmed in Wellington, New Zealand, according to Nerdist.

New Zealand has been the backdrop of other blockbuster fantasy epics, including The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogy, The Chronicles of Narnia and The Rings of Power.

Who is directing The Legend of Zelda movie?

Wes Ball is directing The Legend of Zelda. He previously helmed other action films such as The Maze Runner trilogy and 2024’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

In 2024, Ball spoke about bringing Zelda to the big screen, telling GamesRadar+ and the Inside Total Film podcast, “it’s a dream come true” for him.

“I grew up playing those games and been a part of those things for a long time — I’ve known Mr. Miyamoto for many years now and I can’t wait,” he said. “That’s all I can really say, but I am very aware that people are as anxious as I am to see something on it. I just want to get to work on it, it’s a dream come true.”

Ball also told Total Film, “I’ve been thinking about it for a long freakin’ time, of how cool a Zelda movie would be.”

“I want to fulfill people’s greatest desires. I know it’s important, this franchise, to people and I want it to be a serious movie. A real movie that can give people an escape,” he continued. “That’s the thing I want to try to create — it’s got to feel like something real. Something serious and cool, but fun and whimsical.”

Where can I watch The Legend of Zelda movie?

The Legend of Zelda will be released in theaters.