The live-action Legend of Zelda movie has picked up a wave of new casting reports, and the biggest name attached to the villain's role suggests Nintendo and Sony are thinking well beyond a single film.
According to Deadline, whose reporting was picked up by VGC, Eurogamer, and Polygon, Australian actor Uli Latukefu has been cast as Ganondorf, the Gerudo warlord at the heart of the series. Latukefu is best known for playing the teenage and young adult versions of Dwayne Johnson in the sitcom Young Rock, and he has also appeared in Marco Polo, Black Adam, Next Goal Wins, and MaXXXine.
A villain signed for more than one movie
VGC reports that Latukefu has inked a multi-picture deal, which lines up with earlier chatter that the project is planned as a trilogy. Movie industry insider Daniel Richtman previously claimed that the major acting roles were being locked in for three films spread across six years, and Deadline's note about Latukefu's multi-film contract gives that idea more weight.
For now, only two roles are officially confirmed by Nintendo: Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link and Bo Bragason as Zelda. The 17-year-old Ainsworth has appeared in season 3 of House of the Dragon and voiced the title role in the live-action Pinocchio remake, while the 22-year-old Bragason has featured in Renegade Nell and Prime Video's Sterling Point. Both were shown in the first official photos from the film last year.
The rest of the reported ensemble
The latest Deadline reports round out several supporting parts:
- Dichen Lachman, known as Ms. Casey in Severance and for her work on Ball's Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, is reported as Impa, Zelda's guardian and mentor.
- Yvonne Strahovski, of The Handmaid's Tale and the Mass Effect games, is reported to play a queen character, with Polygon framing that as Zelda's mother.
- The late Sam Neill is reportedly in the cast, though Deadline could not confirm his specific role. Polygon lists him as the King of Hyrule.
- Lydia Peckham, another Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes alum, is reported for an unidentified character.
Neill, best known as Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park and for Event Horizon and The Hunt for Red October, died on July 13 at age 78. Since the film wrapped shooting in April, this would likely be his final screen performance. Eurogamer notes that Deadline could not corroborate Neill's involvement with his former representatives or with Sony.
Wes Ball, director of the Maze Runner trilogy and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, is behind the camera, joined by cinematographer Gyula Pados. Ball has said he wants a "grounded" and "real" take that leans on flesh-and-blood actors in Hylian costumes rather than full motion-capture. Production ran in New Zealand, and the film is co-produced by series co-creator Shigeru Miyamoto and Avi Arad.
What it means for players
Most of this remains unconfirmed by Nintendo, so treat the villain and supporting names as reports rather than settled fact. The Legend of Zelda movie is scheduled for April 30, 2027. Fans wanting an official Hyrule fix sooner can look to the Ocarina of Time remake, which some reports suggest could arrive later this year, though its realistic new art style has already split opinion.
