The live-action series based on The Legend of Zelda that was rumored to be in the works at Netflix was reportedly axed by Nintendo after word of its production leaked to the press. In 2015, The Wall Street Journal reported that Netflix was working closely with Nintendo to turn The Legend of Zelda into a live-action TV series. According to the outlet, the series was described by a source as “Game of Thrones for a family audience.”
Updated: June 1, 2023: To keep this article fresh and relevant by adding more information and entries, this article has been updated with additional content by Evan Lewis.
So, what happened to the rumored Legend of Zelda television series? Comedian and voice actor Adam Conover, who was also set to work on an animated Star Fox movie with CollegeHumor at the time, has an explanation. Speaking about the project on The Serf Times podcast, Conover opens up about the planned Star Fox movie, revealing that Nintendo pulled the plug on the project along with The Legend of Zelda series as a direct result of the leaks.
From the interview:
“This probably means nothing to anybody, but it’s a story that I feel like I can tell now. In 2015, there was this news that Netflix was going to make a Legend of Zelda television show… it was supposed to be live-action show and it got a lot of coverage in the gaming press… At the same time I worked at CollegeHumor and we had a secret project where we were going to make a claymation version of Star Fox with Nintendo.”
Explaining how both projects came to a screeching halt, Conover adds:
“Then, a month later, suddenly there were reports Netflix wasn’t going to do its Legend of Zelda anymore. I was like ‘What happened?’ And then I heard from my boss we weren’t doing our Star Fox anymore. I was like, ‘What happened?’ He was like, ‘Someone at Netflix leaked the Legend of Zelda thing, they weren’t supposed to talk about it, Nintendo freaked out… and they pulled the plug on everything, the entire program to adapt these things.”
The Legend of Zelda Movie Now More Likely To Happen Thanks To Mario
There’s undoubtedly a lot of interest in a live-action adaptation of Legend of Zelda. For those still hoping to see it happen, the good news is that Nintendo seems to have since softened up on the subject. After expressing their distaste, Nintendo seemed to swap perspectives when they announced an animated Super Mario Bros. movie was happening with Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto on board to produce. Nintendo partnered with Universal Pictures’s subsidiary Illumination Entertainment to produce The Super Mario Bros. Movie. In addition, Nintendo and Universal have struck a partnership for attractions based on Nintendo videogames in Universal’s various theme parks around the world.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie was released on April 5, 2023, and quickly went on to become one of the most successful animated movies of all time. While no official announcement has been made, Nintendo is reportedly already developing a sequel as well as spin-off movies based on Luigi and Donkey Kong. It now seems enviable that other high-profile Nintendo properties will get the movie treatment, and The Legend of Zelda is likely at the top of the list.
Nintendo does have a partnership deal with Illumination Entertainment, but they also purchased a Japanese CG company Dynamo Pictures and intended to rename it Nintendo Pictures Co, Ltd. The goal appears to produce and develop their own material based on their video games. It is unclear if this is going to be a live-action feature film in the vein of Marvel Studios or unique content designed for their video game platforms. Still, it opens the door for more possibilities for The Legend of Zelda.
Nintendo’s report back in 2022 said that in the future, the company’s visual content expansion might not be limited to film, meaning that a series based on The Legend of Zelda is not off the table. A cartoon series adaptation was previously made in the 1980s, but The Legend of Zelda has not been made into a television series or movie ever since, despite its continued popularity with video game fans.
The most recent entry in the game franchise, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, was released on May 12, 2023. That game received near-universal acclaim, and over 10 million copies were sold within the first three days. Love for The Legend of Zelda has always been high, but the brand now seems more primed than ever for a feature film or a television series.
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