2023‘s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” was a massive hit for Universal and Nintendo, making $1.363 billion at the global box office, good for the highest-grossing movie based on a video game of all time. Will the live-action “Legend Of Zelda” adaptation at Sony Pictures reach the same commercial heights?
Audiences will find out in two years, as Variety reports that Sony and Nintendo now have an official release date for the film, first announced in 2023: March 26, 2027. The studio and gaming giant confirmed the theatrical release date on Nintendo’s new app, Nintendo Today. The announcement also saw “Zelda” creator Shigeru Miyamoto share they he’ll co-produce the film with Avi Arad. As for casting news, that’ll come in due time.
Here’s what Link fans already know about “Legend Of Zelda” movie: “Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes” director Wes Ball will helm the picture, and also produce with Joe Hartwick Jr. through their Oddball Entertainment banner. And, obviously, Sony and Nintendo will finance the movie, with Nintendo doing most of the financial backing. But there’s no official word yet on story details, so feel free to hypothesize on if the movie will tackle a particular game in the franchise.
Here’s Shigeru Miyamoto’s entire message to “Legend Of Zelda” fans from the recent announcement: “This is Miyamoto. I have been working on the live-action film of “Legend of Zelda” for many years now with Avi Arad-san, who has produced many mega hit films. I have asked Avi-san to produce this film with me, 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.”
As noted earlier, the success of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” got the ball rolling on Sony’s “Legend Of Zelda” adaptation, with the project first getting announced in November 2023. However, Universal’s smash hit was an animated film, which allowed the film to better capture the visual flair of the video game it’s based on. That won’t be as easy for Sony and Nintendo to achieve in this live-action project. Still, “Legend Of Zelda” remains one of Nintendo’s most successful original creations, so it’d be wise not to bet against this film’s success.
Stay tuned for official casting news as “Legend Of Zelda” inches closer to production.
