Nintendo Teams Up with Arad Productions for The Legend of Zelda Live-Action Movie

Nintendo is venturing into cinematic territory with the announcement that "The Legend of Zelda" will be transformed into a live-action film with Wes Ball at the helm as director. Joining forces with Arad Productions, Nintendo will take on more than half of the production costs, while Sony Pictures is set to cover the remainder and oversee the movie's distribution.

In a tweet shared by Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo's luminary said he's been nurturing the idea of bringing the adventures of Zelda to the silver screen for a prolonged period with Avi Arad. Known for his instrumental role in spawning the Marvel Cinematic Universe through his work at Marvel Comics and Marvel Studios, as well as his contributions to the "Spider-Man" franchise and the anticipated "Borderlands" film, Arad was personally requested by Miyamoto to co-produce this project. Miyamoto expressed enthusiasm about moving forward with the film's development in collaboration with Nintendo and requested fans to eagerly await its release, though he acknowledged the film's fruition will take time.

Wes Ball, the director affixed to the Zelda adaptation, is recognized for directing the entire "Maze Runner" trilogy and is presently directing "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes," which is slated for a 2024 release.

The revelation of "The Legend of Zelda" live-action film comes in the wake of the spectacular triumph of the animated "Super Mario Bros. Movie" that hit the screens earlier this year. Despite earlier buzz this year about a prospective "Zelda" animated feature being in the works by Illumination, the studio behind the "Mario" movie, those speculations were quickly dismissed by Illumination's CEO Chris Meledandri.