After the announcement of a live-action Zelda movie back in November, director Wes Ball is letting it be known that he's taking the project very seriously. Based on Ball's statement below, fans of the long-running Nintendo franchise shouldn't expect a campy action movie.
Said Ball, "I have this awesome idea. 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 [Zelda] franchise, to people and I want it to be a serious movie. A real movie that can give people an escape. 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."
After the failure of the 1993 Super Mario Bros. film starring Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo, Nintendo rejected Hollywood's efforts for several decades. However, Nintendo eventually greenlighted an animated Super Mario Bros. movie for 2023, which grossed $1.362 billion globally on a $100 million production budget.
But the video game maker isn't just looking to dominate the world of animated films, as Zelda will be a live-action adaptation.
Previously, Ball stated that his goal with the film will be to make a live-action Studio Ghibli film.
When previously describing his vision for the movie,the Maze Runner director stated, "this awesome fantasy-adventure movie that isn’t like Lord of the Rings, it’s its own thing. I've always said, I would love to see a live-action Miyazaki. That wonder and whimsy that he brings to things, I would love to see something like that."
Nintendo and Sony are co-producing the movie with Derek Connolly penning the script.
However, back in December, the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes director cautioned that the live-action Legend of Zelda movie is still very early in development and that he's uncertain if it will be the next thing that he films.
"We’re working on the script, and whether it’s the next one or not, it’s hard to say exactly,. But certainly the plan is, after Apes is done, to have a little bit of a rest for a moment, and then dive into [Zelda] and hopefully give fans what they’re hoping for, and also invite new people in. I think Nintendo's desire is to introduce people to this world that’s been around for 40 years now."
The Zelda franchise primarily focuses on Link, a young Hylian man chosen by fate to defend the land of Hyrule from the evil wizard Ganon. Zelda, the princess of Hyrule, is a cunning and strong young monarch who wields the Triforce of Wisdom, one of three great holy relics.
The story's fundamental conflict is the ongoing battle between Link and Ganon for possession of the Triforce and other sacred relics. Ganon intends to use their power to control Hyrule, but Link often works with Zelda to protect the land and its people.