Nintendo announces 'Legend of Zelda' film for 2027
TOKYO
Nintendo made the announcement on "Nintendo Today!," a new app for fans that was launched on March 27.
A short video posted to the app reveals the release date for the very first film in the "Zelda" universe, which was created in 1986 by Shigeru Miyamoto, the co-producer of Super Mario.
"Legend of Zelda" games usually feature protagonist Link, a heroic elf warrior who swordfights his way through a monster-filled fantasy world to aid Princess Zelda.
The highly popular series has sold more than 140 million games worldwide.
Its latest instalment, 2023's "Tears of the Kingdom," became the fastest-selling in the saga's history.
Nintendo announced in November 2023 that a film was in the works, directed by Wes Ball of the "Maze Runner" trilogy.
Also on board as a producer is Avi Arad, a veteran of several "Spiderman" movies, while Miyamoto will also contribute.
The project is a big-screen first for Zelda, although it was adapted for a 13-episode animated series in 1989.
Nintendo's most recent movie, "Super Mario Bros.," saw the mustachioed plumber's $1.36-billion box office beaten only by the "Barbie" film in 2023.
A sequel is already in the works for April 2026.
The previous attempt to film Mario in 1993 was a flop that put Nintendo off movie adaptions for years.
At the time, the company simply sold the rights to its hero to Hollywood without taking a hand in production.
But the success of the closely supervised recent movie has prompted Nintendo to rethink its strategy.
