The Legend of Zelda movie has found its Zelda and Link.
Anticipation has been sky(loft) high over who will portray the two central characters in Nintendo‘s upcoming live-action adaptation.
The gaming giant has now confirmed that relative newcomers Bo Bragason (Renegade Nell) and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (The Haunting of Bly Manor) will play the Hylian princess and green-clad hero, respectively.
Writing in a post on X, which appears to show a first look at the stars in character, Nintendo said: “This is [Zelda creator Shigeru] 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.”
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As well as Renegade Nell, British actor Bragason has also appeared in BBC shows Three Girls and The Jetty, while fellow Brit Ainsworth was the voice of Pinocchio in the 2022 Disney live-action remake.
The Zelda movie is being directed by The Maze Runner‘s Wes Ball with a screenplay from Jurassic World‘s Derek Connolly, though plot details remain under wraps for the moment.
However, throughout the franchise’s history, Zelda has typically seen the two characters trying to save the land of Hyrule from the evil Ganon – so we should likely expect something along those lines.
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Miyamoto, who is the co-creator of the iconic franchise, is on board as an executive producer alongside Avi Arad, the founder of Marvel Studios.
“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,” Miyamoto said in 2023 upon the announcement. “It will take time until its completion, but I hope you look forward to seeing it.”
Nintendo is jumping onto the big screen in a big way after the success of 2023’s The Super Mario Bros Movie, as alongside Zelda, a Donkey Kong movie is also reportedly in the works following a recent copyright filing.
The Legend of Zelda is due in US cinemas on May 7, 2027.
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Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every ‘t’ and dotting every ‘i’ as a sub-editor.
