Filming is now complete on the live-action The Legend of Zelda movie ahead of its 2027 release. As more and more information trickles out by the day, could a first trailer be imminent?
So far, all we know officially is that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' Wes Ball is directing, with Benjamin Evan Ainsworth set as Link and Bo Bragason on board as Zelda. As for the all-important story, the first-look images suggest the film could adapt Breath of the Wild. One person who hasn't played that 2017 classic? Link actor Ainsworth, who told us he was too young to play the Switch staple when it came out. Now we feel really old.
As we count down the days till the movie's 2027 release, dig into our guide to everything you need to know about The Legend of Zelda, including release date, exclusive comments from director Wes Ball, and much more. While you wait for the movie to hit screens, it wouldn't be the worst idea to revisit one (or two) of the best Zelda games of all time.
The Legend of Zelda movie confirmed release date
The Legend of Zelda movie is set to hit theaters worldwide on April 30, 2027.
On March 28, 2025, Nintendo revealed the release date on their newly launched mobile app, initially set for March 26, 2027. This was later pushed back to May 7, 2027 in order to "make the film as good as it can be." Then on May 13, 2026, creator Shigeru Miyamoto announced via Nintendo that the movie would instead be moved up a week to April 30, 2027.
"The team is working together as one to advance production so that we can deliver it to everyone even one day sooner," Miyamoto said on Twitter. "It's now less than a year until release, but please wait just a little longer."
The Legend of Zelda movie cast – who will play Link and Zelda?
Nintendo announced the main cast for The Legend of Zelda movie in July 2025. A first look at the movie's Link and Zelda swiftly followed via the Nintendo Today app and Nintendo's Twitter account.
Benjamin Evan Ainsworth will portray Link in the upcoming adaptation. The 16-year-old is best known for playing Daeron Targaryen in House of the Dragon season 3. Bo Bragason (Renegade Nell) is set to play Princess Zelda in the movie.
On August 6, 2026, several other key cast members were revealed via Deadline, among them Severance star Dichen Lachman as Impa. The full cast so far looks like this:
- Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link
- Bro Bragason as Zelda
- Uli Latukefu as Ganondorf
- Dichen Lachman as Impa
- Yvonne Strahovski as "a Queen character"
The Legend of Zelda movie plot speculation – what game will it adapt?
One of the biggest questions hanging over The Legend of Zelda movie is about what game it might adapt and what story it might focus on. Not many details have been released by Nintendo on this one yet, but it seems pretty safe to assume it will feature main characters Zelda and Link stopping an emerging evil.
What's surprising is that filming has now long since wrapped in New Zealand, and we're still none-the-wiser about which game the movie is adapting. While Bragason's Zelda costume is closely modelled on the eponymous Princess' Breath of the Wild look, Ainworth's Link looks a lot more Twilight Princess-coded, a hint, perhaps, that the movie could be drawing on multiple games for inspiration.
However, one of our writers is hoping that the movie leans more towards 1998’s Ocarina of Time to create a more grounded version of the story. It seems only time will tell what the movie will cover.
The Film and Television Industry Alliance production listing (H/T IGN) even features a synopsis, which reads: "The Legend of Zelda follows Link, a young warrior destined to protect the magical kingdom of Hyrule from the forces of darkness. The land is under threat from Ganon, a ruthless warlord who seeks the Triforce – an ancient relic said to grant limitless power. To stop him, Link must embark on a perilous journey, battling monstrous creatures, exploring treacherous dungeons, and solving intricate puzzles to uncover sacred artifacts that can aid him in his quest."
While they've been adapted into plenty of different stories, some basics of the character remain the same across variations. Link is a member of the elf-like Hylian race and is often portrayed as a brave young man going on a journey to save the land of Hyrule. He's usually joined by Princess Zelda, whose bloodline is linked to the goddess Hylia. The major antagonist is predominantly Ganon, an evil warlord turned demon king who has nefarious plans to take over the world, often using a sacred relic called the Triforce.
Beyond that, all we have to go off are some early teases from director Wes Ball. Speaking to Total Film back in 2024, Ball teased: "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." He then added: "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."
He also previously shared some rules he's bringing to the adaptation too. "Keep the money on the screen," Ball said of the things he's bringing from Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes to the new film. "Be ambitious. Be confident in the talent around you. Try to do something great."
Elsewhere, the CEO of distributor Sony, Kenichiro Yoshida, simply teased that it will be "an amazing tale of adventure and discovery". While these are all exciting teases, they haven't revealed anything yet about what the story will be.
Is there a The Legend of Zelda movie trailer?
Although filming is complete, there is no The Legend of Zelda movie trailer just yet, though it's possible we'll see one soon as we're less than 9 months out from release. There's a very good chance we'll get a teaser this side of Christmas, and a rollout of proper trailers in 2027.
The Legend of Zelda movie releases worldwide on April 30, 2027. In the meantime, check out our guide to the best Switch 2 games to play right now.
