Nintendo has revealed that Bo Bragason will take on the challenging role of Princess Zelda in the hugely anticipated live-action The Legend of Zelda project. Meanwhile, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth will star as Link, who is usually the hero of The Legend of Zelda series.
Nintendo announced the casting on July 16, 2025, on social media channels. Shigeru Miyamoto, who has been involved with the Zelda franchise for years, was someone who posted about this new casting. In their post announcing this casting, this was the most news surrounding the project since the film was announced in 2023 and it was an unexpected surprise to fans and journalists alike.
Bragason, who is British and is 21, has been in projects like The Jetty, Three Girls, and Renegade Nell on Disney+. Ainsworth, who is 16, is noted for being Miles on The Haunting of Bly Manor, voiceover in Disney's Pinocchio, and Son of a Critch and Flora and Ulysses.
Admittedly, this level of casting is a bold choice for Nintendo. They clearly did not rely on an established Hollywood pedigree with stars and instead went with fresh, unknown talent, which they viewed as a great opportunity. Since the leading roles have new faces with an underdog team desperately trying to prove itself each time, the pressure is huge to deliver an adaptation of the legendary video game series that is faithful and grounded emotionally.
Production Details and Fan Reactions
Wes Ball will be directing the live-action Zelda movie. He has a good track record with The Maze Runner series, and more recently the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024) movie. He has experience with large scale action and fantasy, which is an encouraging sign going in to take over a fantastical franchise like Zelda which has its own epic narratives and characters, however, I don't think any of those narratives are going to leave the leather-bound books of adulthood.
The production team consists of Nintendo's Miyamoto Shigeru, and Avi Arad—a Hollywood producer that has never struggled with massive and highly successful comic book/video game adaptations. Taking it a step further, Sony Pictures is co-financing the film with Nintendo and it is a testament to the collaboration this is for Nintendo's involvement in the live-action filmmaking experience.
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
— 任天å ę Ŗå¼ä¼ē¤¾ (@Nintendo) July 16, 2025
Postponed way back from an original premiere date of March 2027, the film's premiere date was moved to May 7, 2027. Insiders working on the project have suggested that the extra time will allow the team to tune the project, as well as visual and high-level image quality—which is an absolute necessity for a fantasy world like Hyrule.
Fans have shared their thoughts with reserved enthusiasm. Many fan sites on social networks have defended the casting, advocating that the young ensemble cast takes a different approach from the typical blockbuster template. Some fans even suggested that Link's classic image would have been better served by casting Benjamin Ainsworth, who is closer to Link's age at just 16.
There is some buzz created by casting Bo Bragason as Zelda. While she may not yet be moving off the internet intensive levels of recognition, she has recently made it clear that in her prior roles she can portray characters that are intelligent and strong; attributes which are enormously central to the personality changes Zelda has gone through in the recent games.
Outside of these castings, no other casting information has been released. At this point, we still do not know who will portray vital supporting characters such as Ganon, Impa, or any of the other significant characters from the series, but with filming set to begin in a few months, we'd expect to hear more about the casting to come.
What It Means for Nintendo's Future in the Film Industry
The Zelda movie follows up on 2023's The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which did extremely well at the world wide box office and proved that there is interest for solid video game adaptation. It seems Nintendo is picking up steam in Hollywood with this next project.
With a young cast and established director, that had unrestricted access to the ip and creative collaboration from Nintendo, the decision makers for this film treated Zelda thoughtfully. Rather than clumsily jumping at the chance to attach the franchise name to a production, the people involved seem to be working to nail the tone, characters, and world.
While the fans will continue speculate on story, casting, and visual look, The Legend of Zelda live-action film is likely going to be one of the most hyped and analyzed releases of 2027.
Expect additional updates as productions moves forward.
Source(Image / Thumbnail): variety.com
