Director Wes Ball opened up for the first time about Nintendo's planned The Legend of Zelda live-action movie, saying he hopes to make it feel like a real-life take on the work of legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki.
Ball touched on his ambitions during an interview with Entertainment Weekly, saying that, although the project is just getting off the ground, he’s been inspired by the work done at Studio Ghibli. While the project won’t lose its fantasy groundwork, fans also should expect it to differ from something like The Lord of the Rings.
Ball says he envisions “this awesome fantasy-adventure movie that isn’t like Lord of the Rings, it’s its own thing. I've always said, I would love to see a live-action Miyazaki. That wonder and whimsy that he brings to things, I would love to see something like that."
A desire to channel Miyazaki’s work is a lofty goal, and it’s one that pop-culture fans will no doubt find attractive. Many have attempted to capture the magic of Studio Ghibli films, though most of them are animated projects or video games with anime-esque art styles. A live-action picture in this style, especially one set in The Legend of Zelda universe, sounds ambitious.
"It’s going to be awesome," Ball says elsewhere in the interview. "My whole life has led up to this moment. I grew up on Zelda and it is the most important property, I think, that’s untapped IP, if you will. So, we very much are working hard to do something. We’re not just trying to do it because we can. We want to make something really special."
Nintendo announced plans to create a live-action The Legend of Zelda movie in early November. Details on how it will build on the gaming company’s hit world of wisdom, courage, and power are mostly a mystery.
However, Nintendo did at least reveal that it is working with Sony Pictures to create the video game flick, saying that Avi Arad and Shigeru Miyamoto are working together on it as producers. Ball is, obviously, tapped as director, with, the script being handled by Jurassic World writer Derek Connolly, according to Deadline.
Ball, meanwhile, is wrapping up work on the upcoming Planet of the Apes continuation, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. He says that he hopes to get some rest after that task is completed.
“I think Nintendo's desire is to introduce people to this world that’s been around for 40 years now,” Ball added.
More details about Nintendo and Sony’s live-action The Legend of Zelda movie will surely emerge in the coming years. In the meantime, we’re here hoping that the team behind it doesn’t adapt the events of Breath of the Wild.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
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