First look: Nintendo's live-action Legend of Zelda finally steps into the light
Fans got a proper glimpse of Hyrule today - not on a console, but on a cinema screen-to-be. First-look images dropped in the Nintendo Today app, and yeah, it's a little surreal seeing Link and Zelda standing there in the sun, costumes crisp and familiar.
Bo Bragason (movies and tv series) is Princess Zelda. Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (movies and tv series) is Link. The outfits lean classic Hylian - clean lines, recognizable colors, the kind of details you want to freeze-frame and pick apart.
Wes Ball (movies and tv series) is directing, the guy who steered Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and the Maze Runner movies. If you've seen his work, you know he likes big canvases and clear, kinetic storytelling. That fits.
Shigeru Miyamoto (movies and tv series) is producing and personally announced the casting earlier this year: "I am pleased to announce that for the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda, Zelda will be played by Bo Bragason-san, and Link by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth-san. I am very much looking forward to seeing both of them on the big screen." When Miyamoto says he's looking forward to it, fans tend to unclench a little. And fair enough.
Bragason's had a steady rise through BBC One's Three Girls and The Jetty, Disney+'s Renegade Nell, and the vampire comedy The Radleys. Ainsworth you might know as the voice of Pinocchio in Robert Zemeckis (movies and tv series)' take, plus turns in The Haunting of Bly Manor and Netflix's The Sandman.
The film hits cinemas on May 7, 2027. That's time for the studio to polish, for fans to argue about timelines and tunics, and for marketing to set the tone - hopeful, grounded, and honestly, overdue.
Here's what this could mean. Nintendo's testing how far a beloved series can stretch without losing its heart. Casting two young leads suggests the story might zero in on growth and courage rather than grim spectacle. And with Ball at the wheel, expect scale - just not noise for the sake of it.
If you want a refresher on the series' roots, the official franchise hub is a good place to start: The Legend of Zelda.
Key details
- Leads: Bo Bragason (Zelda), Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (Link)
- Director: Wes Ball (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Maze Runner trilogy)
- Producer: Shigeru Miyamoto
- Release date: May 7, 2027 (theatrical)
- First-look images: Released via the Nintendo Today app
We've only seen a few frames, but there's a feeling here - familiar, bright, a little brave. Maybe that's all Zelda needs to land: sincerity over spectacle, courage over noise. We'll know more as the next updates roll in.
