Brace Yourself for The Legend of Zelda Adaptation from Illumination
According to Giant Freaking Robot, the animation studio Illumination is in the process of developing an animated adaptation of the famous game series: The Legend of Zelda (TLoZ).
The Legend of Zelda has a devoted following of fans of all ages. Since its first release in 1986, TLoZ never fails to capture gamers’ attention and interest. Most recently, Breath of the Wild was released, gaining both critical and commercial success. It marked a new milestone in game development and even got crowned Game of the Year in 2017. The same expectation is being placed upon Tears of the Kingdom, the sequel to the Hero of the Wild’s adventure.
With a large and powerful fandom, many people have voiced their opinions to make TLoZ a fascinating movie. The game’s rich lore, with many twists and turns in its timelines, can serve as a great mine of creativity and a nostalgic trip back to childhood. After all, hidden under the colorful colors and positive stories of courage, there is a darker side, tinged with the tragic fate of Link and Zelda.
However, Nintendo has historically been hesitant to entrust the adaptation of The Legend of Zelda to studios. This is not without foundation. After all, in 1989, Nintendo entrusted their silent hero to DIC Animation to make a TV show based on the famous game. Yet, the result was far from what they had expected.
The plot was poorly written, and Link’s personality was terribly distorted. Instead of a courageous knight, he was portrayed as an obnoxious and incompetent swordsman who let Zelda carry all the weight of their destiny. Despite only airing for only 13 episodes, it remains one of the least popular Zelda-related products. The phrase “Well excuse me, Princess!” has been etched into the minds of Zelda fans so painfully that even now, memes about it are still being made and floating around the Internet.
Yet, after 34 years, it seems Nintendo may now be more open to a film adaptation. Animation studios are treating video games more seriously. Recent movies and series based on games have seen significant success and gained a lot of favorable opinions from viewers. Some examples we can look at are Arcane, Castlevania, and Pokemon: Detective Pikachu.
Bringing The Legend of Zelda to the big screen will be no easy task. Link doesn’t talk much in the game. Nintendo deliberately made him a silent protagonist whose personality is open to players’ interpretation.
Link was intended to be a link between our real world and the magical realm of Hyrule. His thoughts, his voice, his actions, everything depends on the players’ preferences. Therefore, finding a suitable voice actor and developing his personality requires extra attention from the studio.
Zelda is not a typical damsel in distress. In many reincarnations, she has proven to be a strong person in will and magic.
In Spirit Tracks, she accompanied Link in the form of a Phantom. In Ocarina of Time, she disguised herself as Sheik to aid Link from the shadows. In Twilight Princess, she sacrificed herself to save Midna, wielding a bow and riding a horse to help take down Ganondorf. And most recently, in Breath of the Wild, the princess stood up against the series’s main antagonist for 100 years, all alone, as Link is deep in his slumber of regeneration.
But fans can take comfort in the fact that Illumination is a well-respected studio. They are known for their work on Despicable Me and The Super Mario Bros. movie. We can rest assured that our favorite game series is in good hands.
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