Sony and Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda film has wrapped shooting in New Zealand, and while we’re still just over a year out from its May 7, 2027 release, the crumbs of set photos and other leaks have given fans of Nintendo’s fantasy series a bit to speculate about. What little we’ve seen of the movie’s production doesn’t necessarily point to it being an adaptation of any one specific game, and some of the new images coming out of the set also suggest that it may draw on multiple sources. So maybe the film will follow the Super Mario movies’ lead and be a bit of an amalgamation of different Zelda stories?
Gyula Pados, the director of photography on the film, posted a since-deleted Instagram post with a few images from the set. However, before it was taken down, fans saved all the images and are now dissecting them on social media. The most straightforward one worth talking about is the photo of the movie’s clapper, which gives us our first look at Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link in his full green tunic with the Master Sword in hand. The design looks pretty similar to Link’s Twilight Princess appearance with chainmail underneath the green top. Notably, he also seems to be wearing a cape of some kind on his back, which is reminiscent of one of his Tears of the Kingdom looks. So even in the character design, it looks like the Zelda movie is borrowing from multiple Zelda games.
A foto de uma claquete do filme The Legend of Zelda postada pelo cinematógrafo do filme, Gyulas Pados, parece exibir uma arte com o Ben como Link (não vista?) e também a Master Sword
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via @ gyula_pados_dp (Instagram) pic.twitter.com/WoCTaGOcZX— ‘Necro’ Felipe #UnivNintendo (@necrolipe) April 20, 2026
The other picture that fans are dissecting is a group shot of the film’s crew standing on the set. We can’t see much of the background, but there’s just enough visible in the shot for folks to think it might be the Temple of Time as seen in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It looks like there are engravings on the floor of the set that might resemble the Goddess Pearls from The Wind Waker as well. So what the hell is going on in the Legend of Zelda movie is anyone’s guess so far.
Yes https://t.co/HmtWmZ1UBq pic.twitter.com/xVzFjQDFoK
— 𝐙𝐄𝐋𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐓 (@ZeldcastPodcast) April 20, 2026
If you know anything about Zelda lore, you know this is (almost) all connected anyway, so it’s entirely possible the film is using series-wide worldbuilding as set dressing for an otherwise standalone story. A story synopsis was added to the movie’s IMDb page, but it was a pretty general description of a Zelda storyline and hasn’t appeared anywhere else, so take it with a grain of salt.
A live-action adaptation of the video game franchise. ‘The Legend of Zelda’ follows Link, a young warrior destined to protect the magical kingdom of Hyrule from the forces of darkness. The land is under threat from Ganon, a ruthless warlord who seeks the Triforce-an ancient relic said to grant limitless power. To stop him, Link must embark on a perilous journey, battling monstrous creatures, exploring treacherous dungeons, and solving intricate puzzles to uncover sacred artifacts that can aid him in his quest.
While Pados’ post was clearly sent out too early and without corporate approval, we’ll likely see more official promo and story clarification in the coming months now that the Zelda movie has wrapped filming. At this point, the only official casting we know of is Ainsworth as Link and Bo Bragason as Zelda, though some set photos have fans speculating that Severance actor Dichen Lachman may be playing Impa, a member of the Sheikah tribe and also typically Zelda’s advisor, or in some cases, bodyguard.
