‘The Legend Of Zelda’ First Look: Live-Action Nintendo Fantasy Adaptation Directed By Wes Ball Coming In May 2027

Filming is underway on the live-action “The Legend of Zelda” movie in New Zealand, leading to a bunch of set photos leaking online, only for Nintendo and Sony Pictures to release their own official stills today from the fantasy film helmed by Wes Ball (“Maze Runner,” “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes”) that is set to hit theaters on May 7, 2027.

Those three new pics (via IGN) showcase the two young lead actors, Bo Bragason (“King & Conqueror,” “Pinocchio”) and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (“Son of a Critch,” “The Sandman”), in character as Princess Zelda and brave adventurer Link as they’re shooting in the scenic location of New Zealand, doubling the fictional land of Hyrule, after previously standing in for J.R.R. Tolkien‘s Middle-earth for decades.

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The beloved Nintendo fantasy RPG game made in Japan debuted back in 1986, quickly becoming a super-popular franchise of video games (spawned a short-lived animated series). Then had a huge resurgence in pop culture recently with the acclaimed Switch games “Breath of the Wild” and the follow-up “Tears of the Kingdom.”

While not confirmed, set photos may have revealed actress Dichen Lachman (“Altered Carbon,” “Jurassic World: Dominion”) is part of the cast, who previously worked with Ball on “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.”

“Zelda” won’t be the only modern push from Nintendo in Hollywood, as Illumination‘s “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” the sequel to the billion-dollar animated hit, is heading to theaters in April, and Legendary had been developing a sequel to “Detective Pikachu.”

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Check out those brand new images from “The Legend of Zelda” below, alongside the film’s teaser poster. While these first-look pictures are great, fans are still waiting on a reveal of Ganon, the game’s demonic main antagonist, which will likely be shown off at a later date.