In recent days, Nintendo has decided to lay its cards on the table. After revealing its plummeting financial results and announcing the Switch 2's backwards compatibility, it's now the turn of the film The Legend of Zelda to give its news. One thing is certain: the Kyoto firm has prepared the next six years meticulously. While the new console is preparing to continue the success story that began with the Switch in 2017, the Japanese manufacturer also intends to make an impression in movie theaters. Building on the success of Super Mario Bros. the Movie, two other projects are preparing to hit the big screen.
Last year, Nintendo unexpectedly announced that the universe of The Legend of Zelda would be exported into a live-action feature film directed by Wes Ball (Maze Runner / Planet of the Apes: The New Kingdom). For the first time since that announcement, the company is sharing new information in its latest financial report. One of the slides in the presentation focuses on film productions with three key dates. Super Mario Bros. the movie kicks off in 2023, while a previously announced sequel will be released on April 3, 2026 in the United States. Then, it will be the turn of the world of Hyrule to be invited to movie theaters before the next decade. The date “202X” confirms that the feature film will be released within the next six years, before 2030.
What to expect from the Zelda movie?
Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa seems to be betting big on this new type of content for the company. “In the area of visual content, we are making direct investments and are deeply involved in the planning and development of several productions,” he explains in the report. “Looking ahead, we are creating a new animated film based on the Super Mario Bros. universe. which is scheduled for theatrical release in April 2026. In addition, we are also planning and developing a live-action film set in the world of The Legend of Zelda.”
Since the project was announced, the choice of a live-action production has been debated. If there is one thing that the Mario film proved, it is that some adaptations are much better in this format than in live action (yes, we are talking about you Super Mario Bros. from 1993). Especially since fans have long hoped discover a film in the vein of Ghibli productions, whose artistic direction and atmosphere would not fail to honor the environment of Hyrule. This is also why Wes Ball has already promised to follow this example to try to make his film “a live-action Miyazaki“. Now, we just have to wait five to six years before discovering the final result…
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