Nintendo’s Today! app has delivered some notable reveals since it was first introduced earlier this year. One of which was the official confirmation of the upcoming live-action Zelda movie, right before it delayed the official release date to May 7, 2027. Fast-forward to today, and Nintendo has revealed who it is casting to play the titular character and the Hero of Light.
While Nintendo’s choice to go live-action with the Zelda movie doesn’t really sit well with me personally – I’m just nervous the whole thing is going to come off corny or lose some of the magic of the experience we have come to know in love with the more pixelated and cartoon-like visuals, but my hopes are high.
A lot of this is going to come down to things completely outside of who Nintendo chooses to step into the shoes of the franchise’s most iconic characters, but it has now announced that Benjamin Evan Ainsworth will be playing Link and Bo Bragason will take on the role of Zelda.
This announcement comes by way of a short teaser video it unleashed in the Nintendo Today! app this morning (Nintendo doesn’t let you actually download any of these news updates in the app, or take a screenshot, so this is the best we have for now).
According to IMDb, Bragason is best known for Renegade Nell (2024), The Radleys (2024) and Censor (2021), while Benjamin Evan Ainsworth was seen in Son of Critch, The Haunting of Bly Manor, and 2022’s Pinocchio.
Update: Nintendo has now issued an official statement and some images via X (Twitter):
This is Miyamoto. 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.
Here’s a quick reminder of what Miyamoto had to say about the film when Nintendo made it official:
This is Miyamoto. I have been working on the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda for many years now with Avi Arad-san, who has produced many mega hit films.
I have asked Avi-san to produce this film with me, and we have now officially started the development of the film with Nintendo itself heavily involved in the production. It will take time until its completion, but I hope you look forward to seeing it.
The film will be produced by Nintendo and Arad Productions Inc., and directed by Wes Ball. The film will be co-financed by Nintendo and Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., with more than 50% financed by Nintendo. The theatrical distribution of the film will be done worldwide by Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.
By getting deeply involved in the movie production with the aim to put smiles on everyone’s faces through entertainment, Nintendo will continue its efforts to produce unique entertainment and deliver it to as many people as possible.
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