Summary

  • Lost in Hyrule, an unofficial live-action Legend of Zelda film, has been shut down by Nintendo.
  • The project was canceled following an apparent cease-and-desist order from Nintendo, with no Kickstarter funds being gathered.
  • Nintendo currently has an official live-action Legend of Zelda movie in the works.

The live-action Legend of Zelda fan film Lost in Hyrule has been shut down by Nintendo less than a week after it started crowdfunding efforts. Long before Nintendo and Sony announced an official live-action Legend of Zelda film from Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes director Wes Ball, talented fans and aspiring filmmakers have worked on bringing the world of Hyrule to life through unauthorized projects, including one impressive Ocarina of Time animated feature inspired by the works of Studio Ghibli.

Another such project is Lost in Hyrule, an unofficial live-action Legend of Zelda movie that opened itself to Kickstarter crowdfunding in early 2025. Set after the events of Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask, this Zelda fan film would offer up an “untold conclusion to the Hero of Time’s saga.” Director Chris Carpenter would play Link, while A Series of Unfortunate Events star Avi Lake was cast as Princess Zelda, who was described as being a driving force of the movie. Lost in Hyrule had a Kickstarter goal of $30,000, with shooting expected to start in April and the full film aiming to be released in Fall 2025.

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Sadly, this won’t come to pass. In an update on the movie’s Kickstarter page, Lost in Hyrule producer Dio Traverso announced that the project has been canceled following an apparent cease-and-desist order from Nintendo. As stated in the Kickstarter’s FAQ section, the team behind the movie was always aware of the possibility of Nintendo shutting the project down, and Traverso was understanding and accepting in his message. He thanked backers for their support while noting that due to the crowdfunding campaign being shut down so early, no funds will be gathered. Nintendo Life has also reached out to director Chris Carpenter for his comment on the recent cancelation.

Zelda Fan Film ‘Lost in Hyrule’ Shut Down By Nintendo

As previously reported, Nintendo does have an official Legend of Zelda movie in the works at Sony, being directed by Wes Ball and produced by Zelda franchise creator Shigeru Miyamoto and famous Hollywood producer Avi Arad, who is known for his work on various Marvel films alongside the live-action adaptations of Uncharted and Borderlands. No further information has been revealed about the film so far.

Gaming-wise, the Legend of Zelda franchise is as strong as it’s ever been thanks to the success of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which has been breaking sales records and sparking player imaginations since it launched for the Nintendo Switch in 2023. Recent rumors suggest that a remake of an older Zelda game could be in the works for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 console, but nothing has been verified as of this writing.