The Legend of Zelda is being made into a movie and director Wes Ball has answered many questions from fans of the series on Reddit
For decades, Nintendo avoided the movies like Ganondorf avoided the Master Sword, then suddenly everything happened very quickly: First, the Super Mario Bros. movie conquered the big screen and grossed over a billion US dollars And in the aftermath, the next film adaptation was immediately announced
The Legend of Zelda is next in line. So far, however, there has been little information on how Hyrule and its inhabitants will be made into a movie. This has led fans to fear the worst, with the casting of the characters in particular causing discussion.
Now Wes Ball, the director of the Zelda film and earlier films such as Maze Runner, has answered fans’ questions in a Reddit AMA
Many questions, many answers
The AMA linked above was actually about Wes Ball’s upcoming film Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes But relatively quickly, the first questioners thirsting for information about the Zelda project came forward in the Reddit thread
Wes Ball answered many of them, here is a summary of his most important statements:
Table of Contents
Link will speak
Zelda fans know that the hero Link can’t make a sound in the games. But a silent movie is hard to imagine. Wes Ball probably thinks so too. His answer to a fan’s question as to whether the director thinks Link should speak suggests that he does:
When I play Zelda as Link, I talk to many villagers and creatures throughout the game and ask and answer many questions.
Zoras, Gorons and co. are (very likely) realized with CGI
Admittedly, the next point is somewhat speculative, as the questions and answers refer to Planet of the Apes 4. But Wes Ball seems to be a friend of CGI when it comes to bringing non-human beings to life for the screen
Because a fan wants to know: How do you decide whether to use CGI or practical effects?
Wes Ball’s answer: I don’t think today’s audiences would accept puppets or a man in a monkey costume.
What applies to apes will probably also apply to Zoras, Gorons, Dekus and the other races of Hyrule. We should therefore prepare ourselves for the fact that the Zelda film will feature many CGI characters
But we can’t say for sure yet, so there’s still some hope for fans of high-quality make-up and elaborate prosthetics.
In addition, the trailer for the new Planet of the Apes suggests that Wes Ball values good CGI in his films, but see for yourself:
Sequels could follow
The financial success of the Zelda movie is, of course, the basic prerequisite for Nintendo and Sony Pictures to even consider a sequel
At least Wes Ball is enthusiastic about the idea of further Zelda films, because when asked by a fan whether they were already looking that far into the future, he confirmed: We would love to continue with the story and the characters.
A sequel to the Super Mario Bros. movie is now confirmed. So if Link’s big screen debut is also successful, we’re potentially looking at a Nintendo Cinematic Universe
Is John Cena playing the fairy Navi?
Hey, we can’t help that weird subheadline, okay? The actor and wrestling star set the mills of fan theories in motion himself when he posted a picture of Link (the first Link from 1986 to be precise) on Instagram a while back without comment.
Sequels could follow
The financial success of the Zelda film is, of course, the basic prerequisite for Nintendo and Sony Pictures to even consider a sequel.
At least Wes Ball is enthusiastic about the idea of further Zelda films, because when asked by a fan whether they were already looking that far into the future, he confirmed: We would love to continue with the story and the characters.
A sequel to the Super Mario Bros. movie is now confirmed. So if Link’s big screen debut is also successful, we’re potentially looking at a Nintendo Cinematic Universe
Is John Cena playing the fairy Navi?
Hey, we can’t help that weird subheadline, okay? The actor and wrestling star set the mills of fan theories in motion himself when he posted a picture of Link (the first Link from 1986, to be precise) on Instagram a while back without comment.
Since I could never even hope to have the chance to direct it… the next big mo-cap Avatar-like movie should be… THE LEGEND OF ZELDA
– Wes Ball (@wesball) January 29, 2010
What is the current status of the Zelda movie?
The project is still at an early stage. Derek Connolly, who worked on Pokémon: Master Detective Pikachu, Kong: Skull Island and Star Wars: Episode 9 – The Rise of Skywalker, among others, will be responsible for the screenplay.
Nothing has been confirmed about the cast either (sorry, John Cena!), nor has a release date been announced. In the end, we’ll probably have to wait quite a while before we can watch Link on his adventures without holding a controller in our hands.
In a new interview with Polygon Wes Ball has confirmed that the Zelda movie shouldfeel
grounded and real
at the same time. This is at odds with many fans who would have preferred an animated style like the Super Mario Bros. movie instead of a live-action adaptation.
The Reddit AMA should at least have made it clear that Wes Ball is someone who is at least familiar with the topic.
