Nintendo\u2019s The Legend Of Zelda movie has revealed more names on the cast list, including Sam Neill in a posthumous appearance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We\u2019re less than a year away from Nintendo\u2019s live action film adaptation of The Legend Of Zelda and, much like the Switch 2 remake of Ocarina Of Time, we still know almost nothing about it.<\/p>\n
The upcoming film, directed by Wes Ball, stars Benjamin Evan Ainsworth and Bo Bragason as Link and Zelda, respectively. Filming concluded in April this year, but aside from its planned release in cinemas on April 30, 2027, that\u2019s it in terms of official info.<\/p>\n
However, we now have some new casting news to chew on, including who will play Impa and Ganondorf.\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to Deadline, who are consistently accurate about this sort of thing, the late Sam Neill, who died last month aged 78, will make an appearance in the film. It\u2019s said to be one of his final screen performances, although it\u2019s unclear if it\u2019s literally his last.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not known who he\u2019ll play, but considering the small amount of key characters in the Zelda universe, we\u2019d place a firm bet that he\u2019s the King of Hyrule. Then again, we could also see him being the voice of The Great Deku Tree or something similar.<\/p>\n
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Meanwhile, Australian actor Uli Latukefu is set to play lead villain Ganondorf. He\u2019s not a well known name (none of them are except Neill, although Ainsworth is in season 3 of House of the Dragon) but he\u2019s previously starred in Netflix\u2019s Marco Polo series and Young Rock, where he played a young version of Dwayne Johnson.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Additionally, it\u2019s claimed Latukefu has signed a \u2018multi-picture deal\u2019. It\u2019s not confirmation of a sequel, as its future will still depend on the film\u2019s success at the box office, but it means he\u2019s locked in for future outings if Nintendo and Sony do decide to move ahead with them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Beyond these two names, other new cast members include Severance\u2019s Dichen Lachman, who is set to play Impa, along with Yvonne Strahovski in an unknown role. The latter is best known for roles in The Handmaid\u2019s Tale and Dexter.<\/p>\n
Lachman\u2019s casting is the only one that gives a real hint as to the direction the film is going in, as Impa has been portrayed as an old woman in most of the more recent Zelda games. However, earlier games, notably Ocarina Of Time and Skyward Sword, had her as a much younger and more active character, where she took the role of Zelda\u2019s loyal bodyguard.<\/p>\n
When you compare it to the litany of major Hollywood stars in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, it\u2019s clear The Legend Of Zelda is taking a different approach when it comes to casting. However, whether it comes together to make a decent film is another matter entirely.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, Nintendo said it was planning a \u2018consistent release cadence\u2019 of movies following The Legend Of Zelda, although it\u2019s unclear what these future films will be. However, there have been rumours of a Donkey Kong spin-off, which may be the next one.<\/p>\n
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