A Legend of Zelda Netflix series was in the works, but Nintendo canceled the project after leaks

Breath of the Wild — (Image credit: Nintendo)

TV host/comedian Adam Conover has revealed that a live action Legend of Zelda Netflix series was in production, before being canceled due to leaks.

You can see the full interview with Conover in the video just below from The Serf Times. At around the 39 minute mark, Conover reveals that in around 2014, a live action Legend of Zelda TV series was in production at Netflix, at the same time Conover was working on a claymation Star Fox adaptation for College Humor, which was supported by Shigeru Miyamoto.

However, the comedian reveals that the Legend of Zelda project at Netflix was canceled due to leaks, which Nintendo was upset by. Conover suspects that someone within Netflix leaked the Legend of Zelda adaptation, which caused Nintendo to cancel a slate of projects, including the Zelda adaptation and Star Fox claymation shows.

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The Legend of Zelda on Netflix has been rumored for an incredibly long time, and rumours about the project have been doing the rounds since way back in 2014, when Conover claims the show was in production. It's a shame that the project was ultimately canned, but with the rise of animated adaptations on Netflix, such as Castlevania and Resident Evil, who's to say Nintendo couldn't reconsider returning to the abandoned project?

2021 is certainly setting itself up to be a big year for The Legend of Zelda. Just yesterday, a retailer may have leaked The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel release date as Q2 2021, although Nintendo did caution in September 2020 that the mysterious follow-up would stay a mystery for "a bit longer." This year marks the 35th anniversary of Nintendo's franchise, after all, so fans are certainly expecting big celebrations for the series.

For our guide to all the games coming to Nintendo's current console at some point in the future, head over to our upcoming Switch games guide for more.

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.