Nintendo has just released the first set photos showing its The Legend of Zelda live-action movie stars in action.
The images, posted to the Nintendo Today app, are our first official glimpse at Bo Bragason (Zelda) and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (Link) in costume, and come as Nintendo itself officially marks the start of production.
Nintendo’s confirmation comes days after it was first reported that filming had begun in New Zealand, and shortly after fans discovered the project’s shooting location. Over the weekend, unofficial videos shared on social media featured an earlier glimpse at Bragason, Ainsworth and a third actor in the midst of a forest scene.
Following that first set leak, fans now believe Succession star Dichen Lachman has been cast as Zelda’s trusty aide Impa, though there’s no official confirmation of that today.
For now, these photos show the movie’s incarnation of Zelda wearing blue robes similar in color to her Breath of the Wild attire. Ainsworth’s version of Link, meanwhile, looks very similar to the hero’s look in Twilight Princess, where he sports a dark green tunic.
Officially announced in November 2023, Nintendo’s live-action The Legend of Zelda project is being produced by the company’s legendary creative boss Shigeru Miyamoto, alongside Avi Arad, former CEO of Marvel Studios. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ Wes Ball is directing, from a screenplay by Jurassic World writer Derek Connolly.
The Legend of Zelda is currently set to arrive in theaters on May 7, 2027, a date shared again by Nintendo this month as it teased plans for a “consistent release cadence” of video game movies over the next few years, following the box office success of its Super Mario Movie.
Last week, Nintendo announced further details of its upcoming animated sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Marvel star Brie Larsen will portray Princess Rosalina in the film, while Bowser Jr. will be voiced by Oppenheimer actor Bennie Safdie. That movie is due a little sooner than Zelda, on April 3, 2026.
Image credit: Nintendo
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
