Zelda Movie Being Made in “Closest Possible Collaboration with Shigeru Miyamoto,” Sony Chairman Confirms
Posted on May 22 2024 by Nick Miller
With the 2024 Cannes Film Festival in full swing, Sony Motion Pictures Group Chairman Tom Rothman took some time to speak with Deadline about the struggles of the movie industry and Sony’s plans for the future. Topics of discussion included streaming platforms, reigniting excitement for theaters, and some of Sony’s upcoming films. Additionally, a few comments were made in regards to the upcoming Legend of Zelda movie, which was announced as a collaborative effort between Nintendo and Sony.
Deadline asked Rothman about what elements make a movie successful, and what pulls audiences into theaters. He responded that it starts with material, “because that’s what brings you the filmmaker.” Rothman continued, “The idea and execution of [the material]. The freshness and the originality of it, is going to get you an exciting filmmaker and then that filmmaker will . . . attract the best cast.” He then said, “The Legend of Zelda is going to be huge for us. Massive.”
From this comment, it seems that Sony is relying on Zelda‘s quality source material to act as the springboard for attracting the right talent to make this movie great, talent which they have found in Director Wes Ball.
Deadline then pressed Rothman on fan concerns, given the rocky history video game adaptations have on the big screen. They asked, “Based on what you’re saying about movies needing to be great, people have looked at giant video games as IP and often, it has not worked. How does Zelda adhere to what you’ve said about freshness?”
Rothman responded:
“Because the movie is being developed and made in the closest possible collaboration with [Nintendo video game designer] Shigeru Miyamoto. He’s a true genius in that world, and it’s really his strong vision that is motivating it. He created it and understands it thoroughly. You only to [sic] look at the results of Super Mario Brothers to see.”
The depth at which Shigeru Miyamoto is involved may come as a relief to fans who are understandably concerned about how this beloved franchise will be adapted to film. Being the creator of the original 1986 Zelda game, he should have a clearer vision for the Zelda property than almost anyone. If his “strong vision” is motivating the film’s production, then the final product has a fair chance of being consistent with the themes and overall tone of the series thus far.
So, what do you think? Do you find it encouraging that Miyamoto is heavily involved in the Zelda movie’s production? Will the Zelda movie be the massive hit Tom Rothman thinks it will be? Are you looking forward to the Zelda movie? Let us know in the comments.
Source: Deadline
Nick is a writer for Zelda Dungeon and a longtime fan of the Zelda franchise. In his free time, he enjoys fishing, archery, skateboarding, and some good ol’ fashioned family time. He’s an advocate for physical media and an avid video game collector. His favorite Zelda game is Ocarina of Time, though Breath of the Wild and the Link’s Awakening remake are close contenders. His other favorite video games series include Kingdom Hearts, Fallout, and Ratchet & Clank.
