Which Zelda game would make a good Zelda movie?

After being cautious around the release of Tears of the KingdomNintendo has finally announced the unthinkable yet inevitable: a live-action movie based on the Legend of Zelda series. Produced by Shigeru Miyamoto and Avi Arad of Nintendo (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Morbius), the film, which Miyamoto says he has been working on for “many years,” is now entering formal development at Sony – of all studios! Director Wes Ball, who broke out with the Maze Runner trilogy and returns to cinema in 2024 with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apesis currently on board to direct.

The announcement was light on details, but fans immediately went to bat and screamed about whether or not Timothée Chalamet is the right elfin actor to play Link. (Meanwhile, we here at Polygon are wondering more about Jack Black playing Bowser The Super Mario Bros. Movie disqualifies him as a candidate for Ganondorf, because it shouldn’t.) Eagle-eyed folks still on X (formerly Twitter) also noticed that Ball had been dreaming of this opportunity his entire career; in a tweet from 2010, the filmmaker stated, “Since I never had the chance to direct the movie… the next big Avatar-like movie would have to be… THE LEGEND OF ZELDA.” Although he was completely wrong on the first part, considering how Nintendo went to great lengths to preserve the iconography in the Mario movie and Ball now has a ton of experience in the motion-capture world afterward. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apesit wouldn’t be surprising if the “live-action” Zelda movie looked more like this The Adventures of Tintin then The Lord of the Rings finally.

But beyond the look of a Zelda movie, there are bigger questions about Nintendo’s approach. Especially, how do you actually do Zelda as a movie? Known more for its atmosphere than its story, its familiar designs and gameplay than its sensual timeline and lore, the franchise has rarely relied on a story to hold players’ attention. But there are plenty of bits for Miyamoto, Arad, Ball and whatever writers get the golden opportunity to ‘adapt’ it for the big screen. Which leads us to wonder: which Zelda game would actually make the best source material for a movie? Below, our die-hard Zelda fanatics argue why a faithful take on Link’s adventures could really work.

A Zelda movie based on Breath of the Wild?

That is in principle not possible Breath of the wild won’t be a major inspiration for any Zelda movie; the game’s success and superior visual design guarantee this. It’s simply too popular and well-known not to use as a template. That said, the player experience may not seem like the most cinematic at first glance. There is no particular urgency in defeating Ganon, and there are no unexpected twists. It’s a story told through flashbacks and ends in a quick (some might say anticlimactic) ending.

But with a little liveliness, Breath of the wild could be a natural fit in the story, and not just in the visual sphere. An amnesiac hero explores the diverse cultures of Hyrule to gather a team of fantasy friends to use forgotten technology to free a princess and defeat an ancient evil. That’s an easy card for the kind of three-act structure that makes for a crowd-pleasing blockbuster. Plus rock climbing. —Susana Polo

A Zelda movie based on Ocarina of Time?

Image: Nintendo

Ocarina of Time brought Zelda into the 3D era, and it has the legacy of bringing it into the live-action era. Unlike almost every other Zelda title, which relied on twists in the formula, Ocarina of Time plays like an origin story. We meet Link in Kokiri Forest as a young boy, see him answer the hero’s call to adventure, meet Zelda and Ganondorf in a terrifying set piece in the first act, and then embark on the actual quest that episodicizes the Zora, the Goron and the Gerudo. The Nintendo-released Lord of the Rings trilogy is all there if Miyamoto wants to rush through it in one film, with the added benefit of having a built-in musical palette. Like Peter Jackson’s LOTR films, a Zelda film will live or die depending on how big the themes can become and how intimate the soundtrack can become at crucial moments. The least gimmicky way to customize the gameplay is to port over Link’s magical ocarina game. The Legend of Zelda movie could be that Once for blockbuster fantasy films.

As far as outcomes go, I imagine we’ll get a little bit of column A and a little bit of column B, as far as an adjustment goes. By the time Wes Ball’s film hits theaters, the N64 generation will bring the Switch generation. When Nintendo dresses up Ocarina of Time in Breath of the wild‘s clothing, it could easily be a Super Mario-level hit. —Matte plasters

A Zelda movie based on Majora’s Mask?

Image: Nintendo

Yes, it would be easy enough for a filmmaker to follow the route of the more traditional hero’s journeys set out in Breath of the wild, Ocarina of Timeor even Twilight princess. But here’s my thing: be weird. Why not make a movie that really captures the underlying creepiness that we rarely talk about when we talk about The Legend of Zelda? Majora’s mask is a Lynchian journey through a bizarre dream world full of people coming to grips with the approaching end of the world. It’s about sadness, loneliness, regret and transformation – you could even see the impending apocalypse (the moon literally crashes towards the world of Termina) as a metaphor for climate change. Are Groundhog Day The time-loop structure is also fertile ground for narrative flourishes worthy of the silver screen. All of this is to say that, in an age where video game adaptations are either too safe or downright unnecessary, a retelling of Majora’s mask might just attract attention. —Mike Mahdy

A Zelda movie based on The Wind Waker?

Image: Nintendo

While this game’s cel-shaded art style would lend itself better to an animated adaptation, I still think there’s a solid argument for supporting a movie inspired by The Windwaker. Among the Zelda games, I think Windwaker has one of the most emotionally compelling premises for a story; Instead of embarking on a quest to save Zelda, Link sets off with a band of pirates after helplessly witnessing the kidnapping of his little sister. The video in which Link waves goodbye to his grandmother from a ship sailing away is still one of the most emotional and cinematic moments in a Zelda game to date.

And while the game has a cartoonish look, there’s still a lot to play with visually, which would make for good set pieces in a movie. I can already imagine a cool, maybe corny CGI version of the King of Red Lions. Effects aside, if this film gets the Mario treatment and perhaps reimagines Zelda’s role as a damsel, it’s possible that Tetra’s story could be rewritten to embrace the exuberance she possessed before turning into Zelda. If Nintendo is looking for a family-friendly movie with enough meat on its bones to lay the groundwork for a movie adaptation, The Windwaker it actually could be. —Ana Diaz

A Zelda movie based on Spirit Tracks?

Image: Nintendo

As much as I love Ghost trails, I’m not going to pretend that this DS entry isn’t a little Zelda. But there’s one thing that makes it particularly adaptable: this is the only game in the series where Link and Zelda hang out and interact with each other the entire time.

Granted, she’s a ghost, but it’s still a cute, innocent love affair for kids – Pony style – that would make for a wonderfully sweet Zelda movie. Plus, it has choo-choo trains, and who doesn’t love a bit of train action at the movies? —Oli Welsh

A Zelda movie based on absolutely nothing?

Image: Fagiani

Like it The Super Mario Bros. Moviethe live-action Legend of Zelda movie will likely include as many references to as many games as possible, so that every fan’s wishes are represented.

But story-wise, I want the movie to reboot the Legend of Zelda gaming franchise as a whole. As a sequel to Tears of the KingdomAfter the rather definitive ending (and the exhaustive, multi-layered exploration of Hyrule), it’s time to introduce something fans have never seen before – whether it’s changing the canon of previous games or introducing of a new mega villain on the level of Ganondorf, that’s all new to the series, I love a huge shake up instead of just a 90 minute fanservice game. Link needs to talk too. —Cameron Faulkner

A Zelda movie based on the Legend of Zelda TV show?

Image: DiC Entertainment/Nintendo

The obvious answer is that Nintendo should remake the game Legend of Zelda cartoon that first aired in 1989 – a simple story about how Link just wanted a kiss.

It will be easy to adapt as there is no real through line other than kissing and fighting Ganon in front of the talking Triforces. There’s a lot of room there for Miyamoto and Arad to play with storylines, as long as they get the Moonlight-like rapport between Link and Zelda. The Legend of Zelda never had any live-action bits myself, but The Super Mario Bros. Super show! had a number of segments to get vibes from. At worst, Nintendo has a ‘so bad it’s good’ cult classic on its hands with the live-action film. —Nicole Timmerman

Which game should Nintendo adapt for its first-ever Zelda movie? Keep going…advocate Heavenly sword…