The Legend of Zelda Movie Needs To Be Scary

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The Legend of Zelda Movie Needs To Be Scary

As a longtime gamer with a deep appreciation for the rich world of Hyrule and its iconic hero, Link, I believe that a movie adaptation of “The Legend of Zelda” franchise should capture the spirit of its variability and embrace the darkness that lies within.

The Legend of Zelda is a lot of things. The franchise is consistently one of the biggest names in gaming and one of its not-so-secret weapons is its variability. The promise of a new Zelda game comes with a thousand new potential gameplay elements, storytelling details, and evolutions of the format. In that variety, Zelda finds several compelling tones. While the franchise delivers several epic fantasies, it almost always packs away a few surprisingly terrifying moments. The feature film adaptation could gain a lot from doing the same.

As a passionate gamer and longtime fan of The Legend of Zelda, I can’t help but ponder how Nintendo’s iconic game series might translate to the big screen. With everyone having their unique vision, it’s no secret that video game adaptations have had a rocky history. Nintendo took the first leap into live-action video game movies, but their early missteps served as cautionary tales for the industry.

The Legend of Zelda movie should capture the franchise’s spirit

The Legend of Zelda Movie Needs To Be Scary

Director Wes Ball
Writer Derek Connolly
Producers Avi Arad, Shigeru Miyamoto
Distributor Sony Pictures Releasing

The prospect of creating a film based on “The Legend of Zelda” is nothing new. According to comedian Adam Conover’s claims, Nintendo supposedly scrapped a lineup of planned streaming adaptations, including “Zelda,” due to a leak at Netflix revealing their intentions. In the 2000s, Nintendo collaborated with Imagi Animation Studios on an animated adaptation, but the studio went bankrupt following the financial flop of its “Astro Boy” film. It’s been over a decade since then, and although there have been whispers about Illumination pursuing the project, no significant progress has been made since. As a result, fans have been left to fuel their imagination.

The primary topic of discussion revolves around which fantasy films “The Legend of Zelda” should draw inspiration from most. Two popular choices are Studio Ghibli films and “The Lord of the Rings” series. While these works provide some resemblance, neither fully captures the essence of “Zelda.” The upcoming adaptation will need more than just borrowed elements to thrive. Both “Princess Mononoke” and “The Two Towers” showcase diverse tones, making it difficult for viewers to identify they’re from the same production. To succeed, “The Legend of Zelda” must adopt various distinct tones, avoiding uniformity like its “Mario” spin-off from Illumination. Incorporating horror is a complex task, but any authentic portrayal of “Zelda” should include an element of darkness.

Horror is part of The Legend of Zelda‘s history

In Jacob Geller’s thought-provoking video analysis titled “Every Zelda is the Darkestzelda,” he presents compelling reasons why every notable game in the Legend of Zelda series can be seen as having a dark side. For instance, Twilight Princess includes the disturbing Fused Shadow cutscene with its grisly murder scene, Ocarina of Time showcases the haunting ruins of Castle Town overrun by ReDeads, and Majora’s Mask introduces numerous terrifying elements from its opening sequence to each apocalyptic reset.

The Legend of Zelda movie must find both sides of Zelda

The Legend of Zelda Movie Needs To Be Scary

In his project pitch for Princess Mononoke, the great Hayao Miyazaki once said,

We depict hatred, but it is to depict that there are more important things.

We depict a curse, to depict the joy of liberation.

The power of “The Legend of Zelda” lies in delving into its ominous depths. Facing up to the relentless tests of being a hero, Link remains undaunted and valiant. Lives are lost, creatures grow more formidable, and the destiny of the realm hangs in the balance. Despite Hyrule’s fearsome aspects, it is all part of the adventure. In each “Zelda” tale, individuals unite, discover renewed resolve, and ultimately unearth the light concealed within the shadows. Without these shadows, the light wouldn’t gleam as brilliantly.

The Legend of Zelda will not be a horror film. It’ll be an epic fantasy with a few key action elements. At best, it’ll manage to capture humor, horror, and romance in its broad scope. The impulse for a family-friendly movie will likely be to eschew the darkness common to old-school Nintendo. Horror is an important part of Zelda games and the movie should reflect that.

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2024-07-24 21:04