Nintendo Announces Cast for The Legend of Zelda Movie Releasing in 2027

Nintendo is attempting something it hasn’t done in more than 30 years by making a live-action video game adaptation. The Legend of Zelda from Sony Pictures and Nintendo is slated for release in April 2027. This film brings the fantasy role-playing game franchise to life in a way never seen before, with the exception of an old Japanese commercial for The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past featuring a rapping Link.

After the back-to-back success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, expectations for The Legend of Zelda run high. Sony Pictures and Nintendo tapped Wes Ball, director of The Maze Runner and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, to bring Hyrule to the big screen. Ball previously told Polygon that he wants his take on the franchise to feel grounded and real rather than relying entirely on motion-captured computer graphics.

To achieve that grounded look, Ball uses flesh-and-blood actors wearing Hylian tunics and prosthetic elf ears. Nintendo confirmed two lead actors, Bo Bragason as Princess Zelda and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link, while the rest of the cast emerged through unofficial channels.

Here is what is known about the cast of 2027’s The Legend of Zelda so far.

Benjamin Evan Ainsworth is Link

Benjamin Evan Ainsworth was announced as Link in 2025 by Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto. The 17-year-old British actor starred in Mike Flanagan’s Netflix horror series The Haunting of Bly Manor and voiced Pinocchio in Robert Zemeckis’ live-action remake of Pinocchio. Ainsworth also appeared in season 3 of HBO’s House of the Dragon as Daeron Targaryen, another role requiring a green tunic and a sword.

Bo Bragason is Princess Zelda

Bo Bragason was announced alongside Ainsworth. The 22-year-old British actor previously starred in the Disney Plus series Renegade Nell as the sister of the title character. Bragason also appeared in Prime Video’s Sterling Point and BBC One’s King & Conqueror.

Uli Latukefu is Ganondorf

Uli Latukefu has reportedly been cast as the villain Ganondorf, the Gerudo form of the monstrous Ganon. Latukefu is an Australian actor best known for playing Dwayne Johnson in the NBC comedy Young Rock and Byamba in the Netflix series Marco Polo.

Dichen Lachman is Impa

Dichen Lachman plays Impa, the bodyguard of Princess Zelda. Set photos hinted at her involvement before a report from Deadline confirmed it. Lachman is known for her roles in Apple TV’s Severance, Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, and Ball’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

Sam Neill is (probably) the King of Hyrule

The late Sam Neill appears in The Legend of Zelda in one of his final roles. Neill reportedly plays Zelda’s father, the King of Hyrule. He is best known for his work in the Jurassic Park franchise, The Hunt for Red October, and Event Horizon.

Yvonne Strahovski is (probably) the Queen of Hyrule

Yvonne Strahovski, known for her work in The Handmaid’s Tale, Mass Effect 2, and Chuck, is reportedly playing Zelda’s mother and the Queen of Hyrule.

Lydia Peckham is… in the Zelda movie

Deadline reported that Lydia Peckham reunites with Ball in The Legend of Zelda as an unidentified character. Peckham previously appeared in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Netflix’s The Kennedys, and MGM Plus’ Robin Hood.

Nintendo’s Zelda movie was announced in 2023. Nintendo partners with Sony Pictures Entertainment for the project, with The Legend of Zelda co-creator Shigeru Miyamoto and Hollywood veteran Avi Arad producing. Miyamoto stated in 2023 that he had been working on the movie for many years.

The Legend of Zelda comes to movie theaters on April 30, 2027.

Source: Polygon