Nintendo and Sony Pictures are bringing The Legend of Zelda to cinemas as a live-action film on April 30, 2027. The project follows the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, while taking Nintendo’s fantasy role-playing series into a very different style of adaptation.
Director Wes Ball, known for The Maze Runner and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, has said he wants a grounded, realistic version of Hyrule rather than a production built entirely around motion-captured computer graphics. Production uses flesh-and-blood performers, Hylian costumes and prosthetic elf ears.
The film was announced in 2023 and is being produced by Shigeru Miyamoto, co-creator of the series, and Hollywood producer Avi Arad. Nintendo announced the simple title The Legend of Zelda in September. Miyamoto described it as an original film drawing on 40 years of stories, ideas and concepts from the games.
Here is the cast information available so far, separated where possible between officially announced roles and reports that have not received the same confirmation.
Confirmed leads
Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link
Shigeru Miyamoto announced Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link in 2025. The 17-year-old British actor is known for playing Miles in Netflix’s The Haunting of Bly Manor and voicing Pinocchio in Robert Zemeckis’ live-action Pinocchio.
Ainsworth also appeared in season 3 of HBO’s House of the Dragon as Daeron Targaryen, a role that also involved a green tunic and a sword.
Bo Bragason as Princess Zelda
Bo Bragason was announced alongside Ainsworth as Princess Zelda. The 22-year-old British actor previously appeared in Disney Plus’s Renegade Nell as Nell’s sister, followed by roles in Prime Video’s Sterling Point and BBC One’s King & Conqueror.
Reported and strongly indicated roles
Uli Latukefu as Ganondorf
Australian actor Uli Latukefu has reportedly been cast as Ganondorf, the Gerudo form of the series’ villain before his transformation into the more monstrous Ganon.
Latukefu is best known for playing Dwayne Johnson in the NBC comedy Young Rock and Byamba in the Netflix series Marco Polo.
Dichen Lachman as Impa
Set photographs had already pointed to Dichen Lachman playing Impa, Princess Zelda’s bodyguard. A later report confirmed the casting.
Lachman’s credits include Apple TV’s Severance, Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD and Wes Ball’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
Sam Neill as the King of Hyrule
The late Sam Neill is reportedly appearing in one of his final roles as Zelda’s father, the King of Hyrule. Neill was known for the Jurassic Park films, The Hunt for Red October and Event Horizon.
Yvonne Strahovski as the Queen of Hyrule
Yvonne Strahovski is reportedly playing Zelda’s mother, the Queen of Hyrule. Australian audiences may recognise her from The Handmaid’s Tale, while her other credits include Chuck and the video game Mass Effect 2.
Lydia Peckham in an undisclosed role
Lydia Peckham has joined the film in an unidentified part and will reunite with Wes Ball. Her previous work includes Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Netflix’s The Kennedys and MGM Plus’s Robin Hood. Deadline’s casting report announced her involvement.
What remains unknown
The available casting information does not identify performers for other major characters, including Ganon’s wider forces, additional members of Hyrule’s royal court or familiar supporting figures from the games. Nintendo and Sony Pictures have confirmed the two central leads, while several other roles remain based on reports or production evidence.
The project is one of Nintendo’s most significant moves into live-action film in more than 30 years. For more gaming and industry coverage, visit the RETROCADE arcade blog and browse the latest arcade videos.
An earlier television commercial for The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past even featured a rapping Link, but the 2027 production is intended as a new live-action interpretation of the wider series.
For readers planning a dedicated gaming space while waiting for Hyrule’s cinema debut, RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide and range of arcade machines offer practical starting points.
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