Nintendo has officially announced the two leads of the upcoming feature film based on The Legend of Zelda. Unfortunately for some fans, the titular role was not cast with Euphoria star Hunter Schafer.
Before the official casting was announced, there had long been a fan movement online for Schafer to land the role of Zelda. Schafer, a transgender actor, has often been compared to Zelda with fans saying that she already looks the part. There were even recent rumors that Schafer was actually in consideration to be cast in the role. However, it was announced this week that Bo Bragason will play Zelda opposite Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link.
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An official statement shared by Nintendo confirmed, “This is Miyamoto. I am pleased to announce that for the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda, Zelda will be played by Bo Bragason-san, and Link by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth-san. I am very much looking forward to seeing both of them on the big screen.”
Hunter Schafer Fans Weren’t Thrilled the Casting Campaign Didn’t Work
Some fans of Schafer have been expressing their disapproval online ever since. It’s not so much personal against Bragason, as some people are simply unhappy that anyone other than Schafer was cast as Zelda. One person noted that passing over Schafer is the “biggest fumble of all time.” Others have been getting the hashtag #NotMyZelda to pick up some steam.
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“That would be so cool,” Schafer previously said to Entertainment Tonight in 2023 about the idea of portraying Zelda. “I played that video game a bunch when I was a kid. That’s such a good game.”
Schafer is best known for her role as Jules Vaughn in HBO’s hit show Euphoria. She also starred in the horror movie Cuckoo and played Tigris Snow in the Hunger Games prequel film, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.
The Legend of Zelda film will be directed by Wes Ball (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes). While he couldn’t share anything specific about the plot, Ball previously spoke with CBR about his plans for the feature film. As a fan of the video games, the director expressed how it was a dream job for him to direct The Legend of Zelda, hinting that he’s going to work as hard as he can to make something that other fans will enjoy.
“I’m very thrilled and happy to be a part of this thing,” he said. “It’s been a [lifelong] dream for me, basically… to be part of a Legend of Zelda movie. It’s amazing. So, we’re going to work hard and do something special.”
Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda movie will be released in theaters on May 7, 2027.
Source: X
The Legend of Zelda
Release Date
May 7, 2027
Writers
Derek Connolly
Producers
Shigeru Miyamoto, Avi Arad
Benjamin Evan Ainsworth
Link
Bo Bragason
Princess Zelda