‘Legend Of Zelda’ Live-Action Pic In Works At Sony With Wes Ball Directing, Nintendo Co-Financing

Sony is making sure they have their future theatrical franchises covered as the actors strike hopes to end as the studio is co-financing with Nintendo a live action feature of popular videogame The Legend of Zelda.

Maze Runner franchise filmmaker Wes Ball is directing.

Derek Connolly (Jurassic World) is penning the adaptation. He’s repped by Verve. Ball is producing the movie with his producing partner Joe Hartwick Jr. under their Oddball Entertainment banner.

The videogame, created by the Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, and launched in 1986, follows the elf-like warrior Link, and magical Princess Zelda, as they fight to save the magical land of Hyrule from Ganon, an evil warlord turned demon king. 

Nintendo saw huge success earlier this spring with Illumination and Universal on the animated feature take of videogame Super Mario Bros which ranks as the second highest grossing pic of the year with $1.36 billion. More than 50% of Zelda will be funded by Nintendo with Sony releasing theatrically worldwide.

Legend of Zelda will be produced by Shigeru Miyamoto, Representative Director and Fellow of Nintendo and Avi Arad, Chairman of Arad Productions Inc.

A release date has not been set.

Movies based on videogames, once unfertile IP for Hollywood at the box office, has blossomed in recent years. Parmount’s The Sonic the Hedgehog Sega franchise has minted over $725M worldwide with a third film dated in December 2024.

As of September, the Legend of Zelda franchise has sold over 150M units.

We hear a live-action take of The Legend of Zelda has been in the works for several years with Arad being a lynchpin to its delivery.

Sony had a big hit earlier this summer with Marvel’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse which has grossed over $690M.