Nintendo and Sony are collaborating on a live-action Legend of Zelda movie, and actor Haley Joel Osment is eager to join the cast. In a recent interview, Osment expressed his long-time fandom of the series and his interest in playing Link. He humorously noted that at 37, he might be considered too old for the role, but remains hopeful. 'Oh, my hat's in the ring, they know my hat's been in the ring,' he told IGN. 'Link was like 37 when he did all this, right!? Seventeen, 37? As a kid, I was like, 'Obviously they're gonna make [Ocarina of Time] a movie soon, the story's all written out for you!' And you're like, 'That'd be very challenging to make into a compelling two-hour movie.'
Osment specifically mentioned his desire to see the lore from Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask incorporated into the movie, calling them 'my original Star Wars [trilogy].' The project is being directed by Wes Ball, known for Planet of the Apes and Maze Runner, with Spider-Man producer Avi Arad overseeing production. The film is a joint venture between Nintendo and Sony Pictures, with Nintendo funding 'more than 50%' of the project. No casting announcements have been made yet, but Euphoria's Hunter Schafer has expressed interest in playing Zelda following a fan campaign.
Director Wes Ball has previously shared his vision for the movie, stating, 'I have this awesome idea. I've been thinking about it for a long freakin' time, of how cool a Zelda movie would be... I want to fulfill people's greatest desires. I know it's important, this [Zelda] franchise, to people and I want it to be a serious movie. A real movie that can give people an escape.' In addition to the live-action Zelda movie, Nintendo is also working on The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2, with recent news from Toad voice actor Keegan-Michael Key adding excitement to the project.
