Lead actors announced for ‘Legend of Zelda' film
TOKYO : Two British actors will play the lead roles in the highly anticipated live-action film adaptation of the 'Legend of Zelda' video-game franchise, Japan's Nintendo announced.
The film's release is set for May 2027, joining a stream of game adaptations from 'Super Mario' to 'Sonic the Hedgehog' that have stormed the box office in recent years.
Bo Bragason will play Princess Zelda and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth will play Link, an elf warrior who sword-fights his way through a monster-filled fantasy world, Nintendo said on X yesterday.
'I am very much looking forward to seeing both of them on the big screen,' said the post attributed to game designer and Nintendo executive Shigeru Miyamoto.
Miyamoto, the co-producer of 'Super Mario', created the 'Zelda' universe in 1986. Since then, the hugely popular series has sold more than 150 million games worldwide.
Its latest instalment, 2024's 'The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom', saw the titular character shed her role as a damsel in distress to be the heroine for the first time.
Bragason has previously starred in the British TV series 'Three Girls' and 'Renegade Nell'; while Ainsworth was the voice of Pinocchio in a 2022 movie remake, and also stars in the popular Canadian TV comedy 'Son of a Critch'.
The 'Zelda' game franchise, which began in 1986, includes more than a dozen titles and has sold over 150 million copies. (AFP pic)
Before the announcement, online speculation had been rife that US trans actress Hunter Schafer, known for HBO hit show 'Euphoria', might be picked for the part of Zelda.
The movie, directed by Wes Ball of the 'Maze Runner' trilogy, is a big-screen first for Zelda, although the game was adapted for a 13-episode animated series in 1989.
Movie adaptations of hit games have become big business, with Nintendo's 'The Super Mario Bros Movie' being the second-highest grossing film of 2023.
Other titles being developed into films include Japan's 'Elden Ring' and US life-simulation game series 'The Sims'.
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