What do we want from the movie “The Legend of Zelda”?
With success to The last of us And “successes.” Super Mario Bros movie And unknownWe are in the era of video games as Hollywood’s next coveted intellectual property goldmine. Even the most beloved franchises aren’t safe: After Chris Pratt’s Mario fumes, Nintendo recently announced it’s developing a live-action game Legend of Zelda film.
Although it will be a while before we pack our bags for Hyrule, that won’t stop players from reacting and speculating about the possibility of a live event Zelda film. Who will play Link? What makes Zelda Good source games for material? More importantly, what are the chances of it staying true to the spirit of the games? Vulture critic Nick Quah and editors Eric Villas-Boas and Nick Juarez delve into what makes Zelda Very interesting games to adapt.
Nick Quah: Last week, Shigeru Miyamoto, the Godfather of Nintendo, publicly revealed Plans are afoot for a Hollywood adaptation of the beloved film Zelda franchise — and that he’s apparently been cooking up ideas for the past decade with Avi Arad, a film producer who’s been involved in a fair amount of Marvel movies that aren’t part of Kevin Feige’s MCU realm. So we’re talking about things that go way back code And James Marsden X-Men Movies, but also: Tom Hardy PoisonS and oh Morbius.
Worth noting: Arad seems to be working on more video game adaptations recently, including the 2022 game. unknown The film stars Tom Holland. I can barely remember this movie, but it is He was It was a huge success at the box office as well. I hesitate to speak poorly of the legendary Miyamoto, but I’ll be honest here: this team doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence when it comes to what is arguably Nintendo’s most technically powerful franchise. Even worse is the other major aspect of the announcement: that the film will be live-action. I don’t want to be completely reactionary, but I’m committed. Eric, how do you feel about all this? I know that any potential release is quite a long way off, and Miyamoto himself has admitted that there are still a lot of hurdles, but how could the live-action idea work? Zelda Sound to you?
Eric Villas-Boas: I’m reactionary! This was painful news. the Maze runner The involvement of a man does not instill confidence in me. I don’t want to see live action Zelda film. More than most other games, this series thrives on immersion: it features a silent protagonist, usually young and wide-eyed, whose appeal is partly that he can be anyone, losing himself in selective environments and finding his way out of them through the player’s skills. Solve the puzzle. I don’t think this translates well to a live-action feature film format – let alone a Hollywood-style blockbuster. As much as I might theoretically enjoy an animated version instead (shoutout to… Breath of the wild To borrow half of its ideas from those of Hayao Miyazaki Castle in the sky!!!), having one terrible season in 1989 Legend of Zelda Animation makes me stop even when I think Which. the Mario The film may have grossed $1.36 billion, but real heads know that rupees have always been harder to come by in the world. Zelda series. Nick, what about you?
Nick Juarez: Let’s take a deep breath here, really think about the news and the players involved, and trust the process… just kidding, they’re going to screw it up. I will say that Zelda The franchise makes for better source material than Marios And unknownThe world, not just for all the aspects you mentioned, Eric, but also for how games always have interesting themes and unique aesthetics ripe for adaptation: time travel, fallen kingdoms, forgotten civilizations, ancient technology, the weight of unfulfilled prophecies. Zelda Games have always found a way to balance those themes and aesthetics with gameplay and storytelling that rewards exploration and self-discovery, things that big-budget, live-action films have no patience for. All things considered, I have no confidence in this project. I’m willing to admit I’m wrong if they pull it off (but I doubt they will). So we all agree this would be bad – is the discussion over?
EVB: This got me thinking about video game adaptations that actually worked. The word “worked” can mean different things: The last of us (An already cinematic narrative that has had great success in TV series); Super Mario Bros movie (The ubiquitous platform captured the box office appeal.) If this thing has been happening, I wonder: a long time ago Zelda Fans, what will work for us? And what about Legend of Zelda Makes it Legend of Zelda And not just some other fictional IP?
NQ: What’s challenging about this question is the extent of creative diversity Zelda It was such a privilege. Wind wakerThe shaded seafaring of the Sil is unparalleled Breath of the wildTranquil Miyazaki-style landscapes. It does not share any of the other installments in the series Majora’s MaskHis interest in dealing with the moment immediately before the end of the world. Not to mention all the 2D stuff!
Each entry takes into account a similar set of core ingredients you mentioned, Nick – not least the thematic mix of innocence and great tragedy – but the wonder is how differently they are expressed in their different iterations. What I look forward to with each new release is seeing the creative team wrestle with new visual and narrative boundaries, and how they incorporate that into a deeper philosophy of the game. I think the thing that makes me hesitant about a Hollywood adaptation is the possibility that, in short, basic.
Eric, I like the idea of thinking about different models for video game adaptations. Something like The last of us It was pretty obvious, because the game itself actually feels like a TV show; The actual show took what was there and actually realized it. It seems to me that there is a basic choice you have to make at the beginning: either modify one of the parts or set up something completely new. I’m not sure which is less troubling. Nick, what do you think?
New Jersey: I He thinks The safer route would be to cook up something entirely new to remove some ammunition from fans ready to freak out that they “did it wrong.” Like I said, basic story blocks are used in almost every installment, so it would make sense for the movie to also use them to create something new. But honestly, even if they could find a satisfying way to tell the story, it doesn’t address their biggest problem: who will play the live-action Link?
EVB: I find it really hard to imagine any actor in this role, but I feel strongly that they need to evoke the “meek and humble” – something like Asa Butterfield who played Otis in Sex education (Without tripping over him as an untrained, unlicensed sex therapist to his classmates). The kid has realized that “I can show embarrassment and utter nothing but audible tones while climbing a mountain” Look at him, I guess, but then he still needs to frown convincingly when he meets Ganon. I need my indexing link because he looks absolutely pathetic, from the outside, until the moment greatness is called for from him. Nick?
NQ: … Troye Sivan? Mane Jacinto? Oh, I mean, we’re really here faced with a series of thorny fundamental questions. The Hollywood adaptation almost certainly means Link speaks, pulling us away from the man’s historical role in the franchise: a squeaky-clean blank slate who serves as a metaphorical avatar for good. a Live action or direct event Film means an actor who instantly conveys all sorts of things to the link: race, gender, physical height. (The same goes, of course, for Zelda.) Gah, I really can’t get past the live event; I’m proactively preparing for all the CGI options regarding Gerudos, Rito, Ganon, etc. (tingle?)
But listen: I don’t want to cry because I don’t want this. We’re at the best possible stage with this sort of thing: pre-pre-production, the moment at the beginning when we can imagine a future where the best outcomes are still theoretically possible. So let’s wrap this up with some wishes. Part of what Miyamoto talked about, is rolling Super Mario Bros movie, is how Nintendo learned a big lesson when it comes to film production projects, which is to partner with established Hollywood studios that know how to handle filmmaking. (Let’s put aside the growing question of whether any studio in Hollywood really knows how to handle modern filmmaking right now.) So, in my opinion, the best possible outcome is to group Arad with a really interesting studio partner. I don’t want to be obvious and say A24 or something, so I’m going to go ahead and say… Oh, I don’t know, Lucasfilm. They’re not working on anything right now, are they? Nick, what’s your dream scenario here?
Nick: If we must have Zelda The movie, then it should be animated. Would love to see them collaborate with Titmouse (new from The era of the scavengers), Science Saru (who produced the upcoming film Scott Pilgrim anime), or Blur Studios (which produces Love, death and robots) and made an animated series out of it Majora’s Mask And Link’s awakeningtwo of the darkest and strangest Zelda Games in the franchise. What about you, Eric?
Eric: If there is one advantage to a large property like Zelda For a major live-action film, animated television projects sometimes accompany it. This is how we arrived Batman: The Animated Series, after all. (And the Monsters vs aliens Show, granted.) Any of those studios would probably enjoy the shot. But assuming this is the live version of Legend of Zelda If that happens, I just hope it makes time for at least a few quiet moments that allow Link to sit and cook and build things. Maybe some delicious ocarina tunes.
