After the leaps of the mustachioed plumber, the adventures of Link: the large Japanese group specializing in Nintendo video games announcedTuesday November 7, the preparation of a film based on the universe of The Legend of Zelda, after the recent success on the big screen of the film dedicated to another of its flagship characters, Mario. This live-action feature film will be directed by Wes Ball, author of the trilogy The labyrinthand co-produced by Avi Arad, who oversaw several major films in the series Spiderman.
As for Super Mario Bros, the movielegendary designer Shigeru Miyamoto – who created the universe of Mario and the Zelda saga – will also be heavily involved in adapting the adventures of the elf Link on the big screen. “I’m working on the film (…) since many years “he said in a Nintendo post on social networks, explaining that the company would be “heavily involved in production”. “It will take some time before it is completed, but I hope you look forward to seeing it”, he added. The major Hollywood group Sony Pictures will co-finance and distribute the film in cinemas.
Nintendo and Hollywood, a conflicted story
Nintendo has long been wary of Hollywood adaptations of its franchises, after the film’s failure Super Mario Bros., in 1993: a failed dystopia, where Mario finds himself plunged into an apocalyptic dimension populated by dinosaurs, but over time entered the pantheon of the greatest naughty people. At the time, the company had simply sold the name of its hero to Hollywood, without participating in the production.
But the success of its latest cartoon dedicated to the plumber, for which the Japanese giant was involved in the development, validated an overhaul of its approach. With $1.36 billion in global revenue, Super Mario Bros, the movie is, in fact, the second biggest success at the global box office this year, behind barbie. The adaptation of successful video games is currently popular in Hollywood: the HBO television series The Last of Us and the horror film Five Nights at Freddy’sat the top of the American box office for two weeks, are, for example, both inspired by pixelated universes.
No details regarding the film’s plot or casting Zelda has not yet been announced. In video games, Link, an elf warrior, usually fights against the evil Ganon to save Princess Zelda from the dark forces plaguing the magical kingdom of Hyrule. Certain concrete details are already raising many questions in fan discussions online: silent in video games, will Link be able to speak on the big screen? The franchise, which began in 1986, includes more than a dozen titles – several of which are considered some of the best video games of all time – and has sold more than 150 million copies.