Sony and Nintendo Co-Financing Live Action ‘The Legend of Zelda’ Movie
Exciting news for fans of both Sony and Nintendo as the two studios have announced a collaboration to co-finance a live action feature film based on the popular video game The Legend of Zelda. This comes as the actors strike hopes to come to an end, with Maze Runner franchise filmmaker Wes Ball set to direct and Derek Connolly, known for his work on Jurassic World, penning the adaptation.
The video game, which was created by Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka and launched in 1986, follows the story of the elf-like warrior Link and the magical Princess Zelda as they fight to save the magical land of Hyrule from the evil warlord turned demon king, Ganon.
Nintendo, which saw great success with the animated feature of the Super Mario Bros earlier this spring, will be funding more than 50% of the Legend of Zelda movie, with Sony set to release the film theatrically worldwide. The film will be produced by Shigeru Miyamoto and Avi Arad, Chairman of Arad Productions Inc., and a release date has not yet been set.
The announcement comes as Hollywood has seen a recent boon in successful video game adaptations at the box office, with movies like Paramount’s The Sonic the Hedgehog raking in over $725 million worldwide. As of September, the Legend of Zelda franchise has sold over 150 million units, making it a highly anticipated film for fans and a potentially lucrative venture for both studios.
Sony is no stranger to box office success, with the recent Marvel film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse grossing over $690 million. With the backing of Nintendo and the creative talent attached to the project, it’s clear that the live action Legend of Zelda movie is poised to be a major event in the world of video game adaptations.