Nintendo has announced the actors who will play Link and Zelda in the upcoming live-action The Legend of Zelda movie. Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of the franchise, revealed that Bo Bragason will be Princess Zelda and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth will be Link. Coming May 7, 2027, this is a big step for Nintendo in the movie business.
Bo Bragason, 21, is Princess Zelda, the wise and royal heart of Hyrule. Not a big name yet but she has experience. At 12 she appeared in Final Fantasy XV: Kingsglaive, a 2016 animated film based on the game series, so she’s already adapted gaming worlds for the screen—an advantage for playing Zelda.
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Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, 16, is Link, the quiet hero in the green tunic. Ainsworth has already impressed in Disney’s 2022 live-action Pinocchio, voicing the lead alongside Tom Hanks, and in The Haunting of Bly Manor where his performance as Miles Wingrave was praised for its depth.
Directed by Wes Ball (The Maze Runner, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes) the film will be grounded and authentic with minimal motion capture—a change of pace for Ball who’s used CGI heavily in the past. Miyamoto producing alongside former Marvel Studios CEO Avi Arad says it will be true to the spirit of The Legend of Zelda. Sony Pictures is co-financing and distributing.
The story is still under wraps so we don’t know if it will be based on games like Breath of the Wild / Ocarina of Time or tell a new story. The costumes—Zelda’s blue dress and Link’s green tunic—seem to hint at Breath of the Wild but the filmmakers might take creative risks. Ball wants it to be “serious and cool, but fun and whimsical” balancing the epic stakes with the playful charm. With a script by Derek Connolly (Pokemon Detective Pikachu) it will appeal to both diehard fans and newcomers to the world of Hyrule.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie made $1.3 billion so Nintendo has a lot to live up to. That film proved Nintendo can make a crowd-pleaser out of a game but a live-action Zelda is a harder sell. The franchise has a deeper connection with fans—exploration, puzzles and mythic storytelling—than Mario’s more straightforward adventures.
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