3 min readNew DelhiJul 18, 2025 10:36 AM IST
First published on: Jul 17, 2025 at 01:50 PM IST
The live-action Legend of Zelda movie, based on Nintendo’s best-selling Zelda series, will feature two young British actors in the leading roles of Zelda and Link.
In a post on X, Nintendo’s legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto announced that Bo Bragason, 21, will star as Princess Zelda, while Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, 16, will play the role of Link. This marks the first time the iconic video game franchise is being adapted for the big screen, although it previously had an animated TV series in 1989.
“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,” Miyamoto wrote on X via Nintendo’s official account. “I am very much looking forward to seeing both of them on the big screen.”
Bragason has previously appeared in the Disney+ series Renegade Nell and the BBC series Three Girls and The Jetty. She has also starred in the horror films Censor and The Radleys.
Ainsworth is known for his roles in the 2022 live-action remake of Pinocchio, starring Tom Hanks, as well as The Haunting of Bly Manor, Everything’s Going to Be Great, and All Fun and Games opposite Sex Education’s Asa Butterfield.
Wes Ball, who directed 2024’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, is helming the Zelda movie. Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. is co-financing and distributing the film alongside Nintendo, with Miyamoto producing the project alongside veteran producer Avi Arad, the founder and former CEO of Marvel Studios.
The Zelda movie will be an adaptation of Nintendo’s hit The Legend of Zelda video game series, which follows young Link and Princess Zelda as they attempt to save the kingdom of Hyrule from the evil Ganon. The first Zelda game was released in 1986, and nearly 43 years later, the franchise maintains a devoted cult following. The Legend of Zelda film is scheduled to be released in May 2027.
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Nintendo, long known for its video games and hardware, especially the best-selling Switch, has recently upped its Hollywood ambitions. The company struck gold with the massive success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie in 2023. It became the year’s biggest box office hit until it was later surpassed by Barbie, grossing $1.3 billion worldwide.
Nintendo is already preparing a sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which was announced in March 2024 and is scheduled to launch on April 3, 2026. Directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic will return to lead the production.
The Legend of Zelda is one of the biggest video game franchises, racking up more than 140 million sales since it was launched in 1986.(Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
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