This morning, Nintendo announced the lead actors in the upcoming live-action The Legend of Zelda movie: Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (Pinocchio (2022)) will be playing Link, alongside Bo Bragason (Renegade Nell) as Zelda. Miyamoto announced the news via Nintendo’s Twitter account.
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
Both performers are young, up-and-coming British actors (Ainsworth is 17 and Bragason is 21) who have been in a number of productions despite their age: in addition to Disney Plus’s Renegade Nell, Bragason appeared in the 2024 TV series The Jetty and the film The Radley, among others, with Ainsworth having roles in The Haunting of Bly Manor, Disney’s Flora & Ulysses, and more. The casting picks show that the upcoming movie won’t be relying on obvious star power, as Nintendo did with Chris Pratt and Seth Rogen’s casting in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and is potentially relying on younger leads to more authentically portray these fledgling protagonists.
Additionally, Miyamoto confirmed that the film is set for a May 7, 2027 release date. It will be directed by Wes Ball, who previously helmed the Maze Runner trilogy of movies and last year’s well-received Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Ball was likely chosen for the project due to his combination of experience with YA adaptations and creating blockbuster-sized films. It will be backed by Nintendo and Arad Productions, with Miyamoto and the controversial Avi Arad, who was previously the chief creative officer at Marvel, serving as producers. The movie will be Nintendo’s first modern crack at live-action films, following The Super Mario Bros. Movie’s fiscal success.
