Nintendo’s leap into filmmaking has proven successful, and the video game company shows no signs of slowing down. One of its most ambitious projects currently in the works is a live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda, produced in collaboration with Sony Pictures and Arad Productions.
Casting details are still under wraps, but a new rumor suggests Hunter Schafer may be in talks to play Princess Zelda.
Schafer linked to Zelda role
The scoop comes from industry insider DanielRPK, who reports that Schafer is among the top contenders for the role of the iconic princess of Hyrule, one of the franchise’s most beloved characters and long-time companion of Link.
The 26-year-old transgender actress rose to fame for her role as Jules Vaughn in HBO’s Euphoria. She later portrayed Tigris Snow in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) and is set to appear as Cora in Amazon’s Blade Runner 2099.
Schafer is also stepping into video game territory with a major role in OD, the upcoming Xbox-exclusive title from game designer Hideo Kojima.
Though unconfirmed, the news has sparked widespread discussion online. DanielRPK is known for accurate film and television leaks, giving this rumor added weight.
Confirmed details about the adaptation
Shigeru Miyamoto, the legendary creator behind the original The Legend of Zelda and other emblematic Nintendo games, is producing the live-action on behalf of the Japanese company, alongside Avi Arad, president of Arad Productions. Wes Ball, known for The Maze Runner films and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, is set to direct.
The project is part of Nintendo’s strategy to bring its legendary franchises to new audiences through film and television. As Sony Pictures notes on its official site:
“By producing visual contents of Nintendo IP by itself, Nintendo is creating new opportunities to have people from around the world to access the world of entertainment which Nintendo has built, through different means apart from its dedicated game consoles.”
No release date has been announced, but anticipation is already growing among fans of Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, Breath of the Wild,and many other iconic Zelda titles.
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