Hang onto your hula hoops, couch potatoes; Hyrule as an entity will never again breathe life into fantastical vibes independently. The giants spoke-Austin Bo Bragason and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth are the lead actors in the current live-action film adaptation of The Legend of Zelda by the very legendary man Shigeru Miyamoto. Did you hear correctly? A live-action film of Zelda is in production with the lead actors officially announced!
So now let’s talk about the stars. Bo Bragason is cast to play Princess Zelda. The actress being fairly new could be her reason; she is just so blurry and ethereal, making her perfect for the role. Benjamin Evan Ainsworth is the name for playing Link and wielding that illustrious sword. He has appeared in Disney’s The Haunting of Bly Manor and Pinocchio. This guy’s got range, all the while representing an invigorating dynamism of a 16-year-old that matches Link’s never-ciossing-to-be-an-adult counterpart-half-“hero-in-training” charm perfectly.
Now, the reactions are split. Some gamers are hyped, with comments like, “They look perfect. Can’t wait for the trailer!”—to others, reaction is very much uncertain. One user asked, “Who are these people??” while another chipped in, “I wanted Bella Ramsey as Zelda.” (Sorry Last of Us fans: Looks like Ellie is shining uniquely within her own universe.)
Then there is this age debate about Link himself. Some fans wanted a mature Link like in Breath of the Wild; however, the Miyamoto team seems to be painting something of a younger, A Link to the Past sort. On Twitter, a fan by the name of Questbroski said, “That casting says to me Link ‘not quite adult, not quite child-more like the original game.'” And honestly, it does. Link has always been a scrappy underdog, so making him a teenager quite feels right for once.
And, in one of those moments, casting announcements never go without their own drama-levels. One user joked that Twitter going wild was “after casting a trans girl as Zelda,” referencing some feral fan conspiracies that were floating around at the time (That said: Bo Bragason is not trans-just an incredible actor). Others expressed concern that the young stars would be “abused online for not looking exactly like the game characters,” which… yeah, that sadly does seem quite possible.
Now there is the shining beacon of hope: Miyamoto is involved. The guy hardly misses, and if these two actors have been hand-selected by him, then there’s a reason for that. Let’s not forget though-Japanese spindoctor Miyamoto also stamped his approval on the Mario movie, which actually came out way better than anyone ever expected. So maybe we can trust the process this time around.
Well, about the film? Very little information has come out about it yet. No release date, no word on the storyline. But with Nintendo and Sony Pictures behind it, and Miyamoto producing, we know this is not some maybes-for-laughs, Hyrule it really is going all out!
Mark your calendars (metaphorically speaking since there is no date yet), and prepare for a deluge of trailers, merch, and cosplay inspiration, guys. From “This Casting Is Perfect” to “I’ll Believe It When I See It,” one thing is for sure: The Legend of Zelda is about to be etched into history once more. And honestly? We’re here for it.
Now if you will excuse us, we are traipsing over to rewind the Breath of the Wild trailer of 2016 and pretending we’re not dealing with so many feelings. Again.
