Summary

  • Legend of Zelda movie delay to May 7, 2027 increases box office potential.
  • New release date avoids competition with Sonic and Godzilla x Kong.
  • Director Wes Ball's passion for the project ensures a unique and promising adaptation.

The Legend of Zelda movie adaptation has been on everyone's minds since it was first announced, and although the release date was pushed to May 7th, 2027, that's not actually a problem. Created by Takashi Tezuka and Shigeru Miyamoto, the first Zelda game was released in 1986, and there have been more than a few releases, most recently 2024's The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.

Although no one enjoys waiting, especially not for the highly anticipated adaptation of a beloved video game, at least The Legend of Zelda was only moved to two months later. There are a few reasons why it's great news that the movie's release date was changed.

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Why The Legend Of Zelda Movie Release Delay Is Positive

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

The Legend of Zelda' s movie release date delay is great news because its new date of May 7th, 2027 puts it in a better position to be a box office hit. If it came out on March 26, 2027, then it would face off against Sonic the Hedgehog 4 in its second weekend. The movie would also have to compete with Godzilla x Kong and its terrifying monsters in its opening weekend, which could have been challenging.

Since movies, of course, only have one shot at a great opening weekend, it's smart to delay The Legend of Zelda and give the movie a better chance of doing well. There's also another reason why the new release date is perfect: May 7th, 2027 was the original release date for Avengers: Secret Wars. That movie has now been pushed to December 17th, 2027.

Since fans are more than a little curious about a live-action The Legend of Zelda adaptation, the movie deserves its chance to shine, and a May 2027 release date allows it to do just that. It's always a shame when an opening weekend is too crowded, and in this case, Zelda would have competed with Sonic the Hedgehog 4, another film based on a popular video game.

While some fans are uncertain about what the movie will be like, several reacted positively to the news, with Redditor @PayneTrain181999 mentioning that the upcoming Avengers movie was delayed, too. They wrote:

"Secret Wars moving to that December opened a prime slot that Nintendo was probably all too happy to take.

In the case of both films, I’m all for them taking more time to ensure it’s done right."

Redditor @superyoshoim added, "that’s fine if they need extra time for polish. I really liked Wes Ball’s work on that apes movie, looking forward to this."

Now that fans know the official release date, they're even more eager to find out some of the cast members, including who is going to play Princess Zelda. Fans are also hopeful that familiar creatures are featured in the story and if there will be a trilogy. That would likely depend on how well the first movie does at the box office, and now that the date has been pushed, it's hard to imagine audiences not eagerly heading to their local theaters.

The Legend Of Zelda Director Shared His Inspiration For The Movie Adaptation

The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Link

While some fans would have preferred an animated Legend of Zelda movie instead of a live-action film, director Wes Ball clearly cares about the material. In 2010, he tweeted that he would love to direct an adaptation, so this movie has been on his mind for a while.

In a 2023 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Ball said he was thinking about:

"this awesome fantasy-adventure movie that isn’t like Lord of the Rings, it’s its own thing."

He mentioned Hayao Miyazaki's beloved and successful movies in the interview and continued:

"I've always said, I would love to see a live-action Miyazaki. That wonder and whimsy that he brings to things, I would love to see something like that."

Besides directing The Maze Runner franchise, Ball directed Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which was released in 2024. Since that movie was popular, many are sure Ball can make a great Zelda movie, even if several fans would have liked an animated story.

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Release Date
May 7, 2027
Director
Wes Ball
Writers
Derek Connolly
Producers
Shigeru Miyamoto, Avi Arad
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  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Benjamin Evan Ainsworth
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  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Bo Bragason
    Princess Zelda
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