First Look at Wes Ball’s ‘The Legend of Zelda’ — Video Game Adaptations Are Taking Over Hollywood

This is it. The end of the road. The collapse everyone saw coming. After 20 punishing years of superhero movies, Hollywood has now shifted its franchise obsession toward video game adaptations. The gold rush to claim every big IP is here.

We’ve already gotten a handful of mega successes this decade — “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” “A Minecraft Movie,” “Sonic the Hedgehog,” “Uncharted,” “Five Nights at Freddy’s” — and there are plenty more coming down the pipeline. It’s going to take over the rest of the decade, and then some.

One of the major titles is “The Legend of Zelda,” which Sony and Nintendo are partnering on once again to bring to the big screen. A first look was revealed this morning: Bo Bragason as Zelda, with Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link. Production officially began last week.

Wes Ball, best known for “The Maze Runner” films and “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” is directing. Derek Connolly — who penned “Jurassic World” and “Detective Pikachu” — is writing the script. Ball’s background in VFX-heavy projects makes him a logical choice for this fantasy-driven world.

English actress Bragason is best known for her work in the BBC One dramas “Three Girls” and “The Jetty,” as well as the Disney+ series “Renegade Nell.” Most recently, she starred in “The Radleys,” a vampire comedy directed by Euros Lyn. Zelda is her big break.

As mentioned, video game adaptations are all the rage now. In the next few years, we’re expecting sequels to “Super Mario” and “Minecraft,” not to mention adaptations of “Donkey Kong,” “Call of Duty,” “Death Stranding,” “Elden Ring,” “Street Fighter,” and “Ghost of Tsushima.”

“The Legend of Zelda” is scheduled to be released in theaters on May 7, 2027.

See more first-look images below.