2027’s Legend of Zelda Movie Officially Breaks a 34-Year Nintendo Casting Rule

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The upcoming 2027 movie based on The Legend of Zelda will reportedly break a 34-year-old rule Nintendo has always followed regarding casting. Following the success of the Super Mario Bros. movie, Nintendo is adapting another popular video game franchise for the big screen. This new live-action film, directed by Wes Ball (known for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes), will bring the world of The Legend of Zelda to life for fans. Nintendo, also the maker of the Switch 2, is behind the project.

Information about the upcoming video game adaptation is limited, but we’ve learned that filming has begun in New Zealand. Newcomers Benjamin Evan Ainsworth and Bo Bragason will star as Link and Zelda. Fans have also gotten a first look at another actor joining the cast, and this casting choice marks a significant departure from a long-standing tradition for the game’s creator, dating back to the 1990s.

I was so excited to see the leaked set photos from the upcoming Legend of Zelda movie! Apparently, Dichen Lachman, who I loved in Severance, has joined the cast as Impa, Princess Zelda’s trusted advisor. It’s really cool because she’s the first actor cast in a live-action Nintendo film since the original Super Mario Bros. movie way back in 1993. It feels like Nintendo is taking this adaptation seriously, and I can’t wait to see her in the role!

In the games, Impa belongs to the Sheikah, a tribe of warriors who were once thought to be extinct. She and her family are dedicated to protecting the royal family of Hyrule, and often act as a hidden protector for Princess Zelda.

Jeff Lachman is now part of a small group of adult actors who’ve appeared in live-action Nintendo movies, joining previous stars like Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo, and Dennis Hopper – all of whom famously starred in the original, and unsuccessful, Super Mario Bros. movie.

As far as the voice cast goes for the new Zelda movie, we’ve only heard from a couple of actors so far: 17-year-old Ainsworth and 21-year-old Bragason. But the latest addition, Lachman, is a real standout – at 43, he’s significantly older than the rest of the confirmed cast, which is a fascinating choice and I’m really curious to see how that plays out.

We expect more adult cast members for The Legend of Zelda to be revealed later, but currently, only Lachman has been announced.

Okay, so a lot of people bring up the Detective Pikachu movie from 2019, and yeah, it had real actors in it. But honestly, it felt more like something The Pokémon Company made, rather than a true Nintendo video game adaptation. It didn’t quite feel like a Nintendo project, you know?

Okay, as a huge Zelda fan, I’m SO excited! Nintendo just announced that The Legend of Zelda is getting a movie, and it’s hitting theaters on May 7, 2027! It’s being made with Sony Pictures and Wes Ball, who did the Maze Runner films, which is awesome. From what I’ve heard, it’s about a young boy who gets caught up in a big prophecy to save his world. This will be Nintendo’s third movie recently, following The Super Mario Bros. Movie and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie which is coming out next year. I can’t wait to see how it turns out!

Who Will Be the Next Actor Cast in The Legend of Zelda Movie? 

Filming for The Legend of Zelda movie is happening now in New Zealand, and we can expect to hear about more actors joining the cast soon, which fans worldwide are excited about.

Even though photos of Lachman on the movie set have surfaced, she hasn’t been officially confirmed as part of the cast. Fans speculate she’ll play the character Impa, and it’s likely any future casting news will include her in some capacity.

I’m so excited about the 2027 movie! They’ve cast Lachman as Shekiah, which is amazing, but there are still a few key roles they need to fill. The biggest one, and the one everyone is talking about, is who will play the main villain. It’s going to be huge!

Throughout the many Zelda games, the main villains have varied, but they almost always connect back to the powerful and frightening Ganon or Ganondorf. This character, often called the Demon King, is central to a key prophecy in the Zelda universe, locked in an endless, generational struggle against the hero Link and the princess Zelda, protector of Hyrule.

Since this is the first ever movie based on The Legend of Zelda, it’s logical that Nintendo and Sony Pictures would choose Ganondorf as the main villain.

With the new video game movie starring lesser-known actors, a popular celebrity villain could really generate excitement. Over the past few months, names like Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem, and Dave Bautista have been mentioned as possibilities for the role.

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2026-01-02 05:11