Credit: NintendoSince The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) collected a ton of gold coins at the global box office earlier this year, Nintendo fans have been wondering — perhaps even worrying — about the prospect of a film adaptation of The Legends of Zelda video games.
The idea of a Zelda movie feels as taboo as a Back to the Future sequel or reboot. There’s just something about it that doesn’t sit right with fans, and it’s probably to do with the atmosphere in the Zelda games that a film adaptation is unlikely to recapture.
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Following the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, a CG-animated Zelda movie seemed inevitable, however, much to everyone’s surprise (and disappointment), it was recently announced that a live-action adaptation of the beloved video game series is in the works.
Now, director Wes Ball, who is currently working on Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024), has finally shed some light on what fans can expect from his upcoming Zelda movie.
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In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly (via Stealth on Twitter), Ball revealed that he wants his live-action The Legends of Zelda movie to feel like “live-action Miyazaki,” and that he loves “the wonder and whimsy” Miyazaki brings to his animated projects.
Check out the tweet below:
Wes Ball says he is aiming for The Legend of Zelda movie to be like a live-action Miyazaki film. He says they aren’t making this movie because they can, they are doing it because they want to make something very special.
Wes Ball says he is aiming for The Legend of Zelda movie to be like a live-action Miyazaki film.
He says they aren't making this movie because they can, they are doing it because they want to make something very special.
Link: https://t.co/TbtCB1fjSU pic.twitter.com/0qLrCPkWgp
— Stealth (@Stealth40k) December 5, 2023
Hayao Miyazaki is the animated director and co-founder of Studio Ghibli, best known for animated classics such as Spirited Away (2003) and Howl’s Moving Castle (2005).
Oddly enough, there is a concept trailer that imagines The Legends of Zelda in Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli form, which was shared by the user “matt vince” seven years ago.
Check out the stunning fan-made Zelda trailer below, which feels like something straight out of the Studio Ghibli vault:
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It’s plain to see why anyone would want Zelda done this way. The idea of a live-action film probably doesn’t sit well with most fans of the video game franchise because successfully translating the unique feel and atmosphere of those games, or that “wonder and whimsy” as Ball puts it, into live-action, just seems very unlikely.
There’s something about an animated Zelda movie, however, that would likely capture everything we know and love about the 37-year-old franchise. While it’s reassuring to hear that Ball is a fan of Miyazaki and intends to make The Legends of Zelda movie “feel” like animated classics such as Spirited Away, his film will still be told in live action.
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Thankfully, though, drawing upon the inspiration of Hayao Miyazaki is in no way a bad thing, even for a live-action Zelda movie. It’s also refreshing to hear Ball confirm that the upcoming adaptation “isn’t like The Lord of the Rings” — to which it will inevitably be compared given its fantastical setting — and that “it’s its own thing.”
But Ball isn’t the only one with Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli on his mind when it comes to Zelda. Two weeks ago, a fan-made animated Zelda movie, which is also told in Ghibli style, was uploaded by IGN.
Check it out below:
Perhaps Ball’s upcoming film, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, will give us a better idea of what we can expect from his Zelda movie, as fans will expect Ball to recapture the magic and charm of its predecessor, War for the Planet of the Apes (2017).
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes releases on May 24, 2024. There’s no release date for The Legends of Zelda movie.
Would you rather The Legends of Zelda movie was animated like one of Studio Ghibli’s? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!