The live-action Legend of Zelda movie is on the way, and the main cast has already been announced by Nintendo. The Haunting of Bly Manor star Benjamin Evan Ainsworth will portray Link, while Renegade Nell's Bo Bragason is set to play Princess Zelda. With an official release date also confirmed, the highly anticipated video game adaptation is finally taking shape, and we can't wait to see it on the big screen.
First announced back in 2023, this is the first-ever live action adaptation of the popular game, which in its different versions follows a young boy named Link in his journey to save the land of Hyrule. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and The Maze Runner trilogy director Wes Ball is directing the movie, while Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom scribe Derek Connolly has penned the screenplay.
Below, check out our guide on everything you need to know about The Legend of Zelda movie release date, confirmed cast, plot theories, first-look images, trailers, and more. Most details are still under wraps, unfortunately, but we do have an update from Legend of Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto. Scroll on to get up to speed on one of the most exciting upcoming movies, or, check out our guide to the best Zelda games of all time, and all the upcoming video game movies coming your way very soon.
The Legend of Zelda movie release date
The Legend of Zelda movie is set to hit theaters worldwide on May 7, 2027.
On March 28 2025, Nintendo revealed the release date on their newly launched mobile app. On June 9 2025, however, creator Shigeru Miyamoto announced via Nintendo that the movie would be pushed to May in order to "make the film as good as it can be."
This means that the film will come out right after the Super Mario Bros. movie sequel is released in 2026.
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. No 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.
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. It's expected that the live-action movie will feature some of these key traits in the development of its story.
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, Sony CEO 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.
There are obviously plenty of sources that the movie could pull from. One of the most beloved takes on the story is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which won over fans with its epic open-world adventure. 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 Legend of Zelda movie cast – who will play Link and Zelda?
Nintendo announced the main cast for the The Legend of Zelda movie in July 2025.
Benjamin Evan Ainsworth will portray Link in the upcoming adaptation. The 16-year-old is best known for portraying Miles in The Haunting of Bly Manor, and voicing the titular character in Disney's live-action remake of Pinocchio.
Bo Bragason is set to play Princess Zelda in the movie. We've seen the actress before in movies like The Radleys and shows like The Jetty and Disney Plus' Renegade Nell.
The full cast so far looks like this:
- Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link
- Bro Bragason as Zelda
Before this cast was made official, fans were hoping to see Euphoria actor Hunter Schafer playing Zelda. Speaking to Variety, she said: "That would be so cool. I love the game, personally. I played it as a kid and I still play it now. Who knows! That would be pretty cool."
Other actors who fans have put forward for the role include The Witcher's Freya Allan, Saoirse Ronan, and Anya Taylor-Joy, while Percy Jackson star Walker Scobell was also a fan-favorite to play Link along with Spider-Man star Tom Holland and Game of Thrones actor Thomas Brodie-Sangster.
There are no more casting news announced at this point. We'll keep you posted as soon as it is.
Is there a The Legend of Zelda movie trailer?
No, as no filming has begun on The Legend of Zelda movie yet, there is no trailer. We likely won't see any footage of the movie until much closer to its release date. Generally, films release their trailers a few months before they hit theaters, but sometimes with big releases they can arrive a bit earlier than that. As soon as cameras start rolling, we'll have a better idea of when to expect a trailer. We might get something of a teaser in 2026, and a rollout of proper trailers in 2027.
The Legend of Zelda movie doesn't yet have a release date. In the meantime, check out our guides to all of the upcoming video game movies on the way and our picks for the best Switch games to play right now.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
