Wes Ball is awaiting the release of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which is still in post-production, but the filmmaker is already looking ahead to another fan-favorite project.
During a recent conversation with Entertainment Weekly, Ball dove into his upcoming live-action Legend of Zelda film that Nintendo is planning with Sony Pictures.
Ball notes he wants to change some of the fantasy film tropes and for something less Tolkien-inspired.
“This awesome fantasy-adventure movie that isn’t like Lord of the Rings, it’s its own thing. I’ve always said I would love to see a live-action Miyazaki. That wonder and whimsy that he brings to things, I would love to see something like that,” says Ball.
“It’s going to be awesome,” he adds. “My whole life has led up to this moment. I grew up on Zelda, and it is the most important property, I think, that’s untapped IP, if you will. So we very much are working hard to do something. We’re not just trying to do it because we can. We want to make something really special.”
As for the timeline, he reveals: “We’re working on the script, and whether it’s the next one or not, it’s hard to say exactly. But certainly, the plan is, after Apes is done, to have a little bit of a rest for a moment, and then dive into [Zelda] and hopefully give fans what they’re hoping for, and also invite new people in. I think Nintendo’s desire is to introduce people to this world that’s been around for 40 years now.”
Nintendo and Sony Pictures are co-financing the film, with Shigeru Miyamoto and Avi Arad set to produce. Stay tuned for updates on casting and production dates.
