Credit: NintendoIn a surprising announcement, Nintendo has revealed some of the details for its follow-up to its box office smash, The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023): The Legend of Zelda.
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The Super Mario Bros. Movie was one of the biggest blockbuster hits of the year, grossing over $1.36 billion. Despite being maligned by critics, the film became widely popular with audiences, particularly because of the delightful performances by Chris Pratt as Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, and Jack Black as Bowser.
Naturally, this has prompted many fans of video games and the film to ask Nintendo what franchise will be their next hit film. While the iconic video game company has remained quiet, they finally announced which of their iconic characters will be getting the Hollywood treatment. And, frankly, it’s not that surprising.
Nintendo’s Next Film Will Be a Live-Action ‘Legend of Zelda’
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Through the Nintendo X (formerly Twitter) account, gaming icon Shigeru Miyamoto announced that he had been working on a Legend of Zelda movie for quite some time. “This is Miyamoto,” the announcement reads. “I have been working on the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda for many years now with Avi Arad-san, who has produced many mega-hit films.’
This is Miyamoto. I have been working on the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda for many years now with Avi Arad-san, who has produced many mega hit films. [1]
— 任天堂株式会社 (@Nintendo) November 7, 2023
“I have asked Avi-san to produce this film with me,” Miyamoto continued, “and we have now officially started the development of the film with Nintendo itself heavily involved in the production. It will take time until its completion, but I hope you look forward to seeing it.”
More details were revealed in a press release from Nintendo. The film will be produced by Nintendo and Arad Productions Inc. Run by Avi Arad, Arad Productions has produced multiple blockbuster hits, including Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2022), and Uncharted (2022).
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It will be distributed and partially financed by Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. The movie will be directed by Wes Ball, who is most well-known for directing the Maze Runner films and the upcoming Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024).
Obviously, fans are ecstatic to hear that a Legend of Zelda movie is being made at all. While some people would have preferred for the movie to be animated, the live-action element opens itself up to be a true fantasy epic, like The Lord of the Rings or The Princess Bride (1987). Hopefully, this will live up to the critical precedence set by these films and the video game series it is based on.
What Legend of Zelda storyline do you think the film should follow? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!