After months of speculation, Nintendo has finally confirmed the two actors for the lead roles in the upcoming live-actionLegend of Zelda film: Bo Bragason and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth. The casting choices were announced this morning by Shigeru Miyamoto, who said that he is “very much looking forward to seeing both of them on the big screen.”
The announcement also reiterated a release date of June 11, 2025. Nintendo announced the new release date last month. Originally slated for a March 2027 release, that would have put it in direct competition with “Avengers: Secret Wars” (which has also been delayed now).
Ainsworth is a relative newcomer to the silver screen with only a small number of roles under his belt, although it is worth noting he appeared in the Netflix hit “The Haunting of Bly Manor” and in 2022’s “Pinocchio.”
This is Miyamoto. I am pleased to announce that for the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda, Zelda will be played by Bo Bragason-san, and Link by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth-san. I am very much looking forward to seeing both of them on the big screen. (1/2)pic.twitter.com/KA5XW3lwul
Bo Bragason has a bit of experience portraying royalty with her role as Queen Gunhild in “King and Conqueror,” and she’s also known for playing Roxy in the 2024 TV series “Renegade Nell.”
The casting announcements are some of the most solid information we have so far on the film. Nintendo hasn’t revealed anything about the story or setting, although it’s a reasonable guess that it will take place somewhere in Hyrule (unless, of course, they push us down a hole in a tree and the movie is set in Termina.)
Direct Wes Ball knows the importance of the task he’s been given. In aninterview with Total Film, he wrote, “I’ve been thinking about it for a long freakin’ time, of how cool a Zelda movie would be… I want to fulfil people’s greatest desires. I know it’s important, this [Zelda] franchise, to people and I want it to be a serious movie. A real movie that can give people an escape.”
Fans remain hesitant about the news. Given thehistory of live-action video game films, that’s no surprise. There’s no word on whether the film will be an adaptation of a previous game or a unique story, so stay tuned for more details.
