The Legend of Zelda movie director says it’s a "a dream come true" to work on the live-action adaptation – even if Nintendo won’t let him say anything about it
Exclusive | Filmmaker Wes Ball is just as anxious as fans to see something from the movie
Ever since The Legend of Zelda live-action movie was announced, fans have been eager to find out more about the upcoming video game adaptation.
However, details on the project are currently scarce, so we decided to ask director Wes Ball about it when sitting down with him recently to chat about his next film Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
Whilst he admits that Nintendo have sworn him to secrecy, there were a few things that he could tease, including that he's anxious to get started on the adaptation and that he has known Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Zelda, for many years.
Ball revealed to 12DOVE and the Inside Total Film podcast: "I can’t say anything [laughs]. Nintendo would jump out and pull me aside. But we are very excited, it’s a dream come true for me. I grew up playing those games and been a part of those things for a long time - I’ve known Mr. Miyamoto for many years now and I can’t wait. That’s all I can really say but I am very aware that people are as anxious as I am to see something on it. I just want to get to work on it, it’s a dream come true."
Whilst Ball is clearly ready to jump into the world of Zelda, first he has the imminent release of the next chapter in the Planet of the Apes series. He will be taking some lessons from that to the kingdom of Hyrule, as he revealed during a recent Reddit AMA, explaining how his experience on Apes will shape how he approaches Zelda. Answering a fan question, Ball stated: "Keep the money on the screen. Be ambitious. Be confident in the talent around you. Try to do something great."
"Something great" is exactly what gamers are hoping for from the upcoming film, which is yet to reveal any cast or plot details. However, that hasn't stopped a wave of theories from hitting the internet, as fans have shared their picks for the roles of Zelda and Link, which includes Game of Thrones star Thomas Brodie-Sangster and The Hunger Games prequel star Hunter Schafer.
The Legend of Zelda movie currently doesn't have a release date but you can stay updated with our guide to the video game adaptations that will soon be coming your way.
Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter
Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox
Meanwhile Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes releases in cinemas on May 9 in the UK and May 10 in the US. Keep your eyes peeled for more from our interview with Ball and the film's cast on site later this week, as well as on the upcoming episode of the Inside Total Film podcast.
As Entertainment Editor at GamesRadar, I oversee all the online content for Total Film and SFX magazine. Previously I've worked for the BBC, Zavvi, UNILAD, Yahoo, Digital Spy and more.