Although less than a year remains until theatergoers will venture into the kingdom of Hyrule and filming has since wrapped, Nintendo and Sony‘s live-action The Legend of Zelda movie remains shrouded in mystery. Any details about Wes Ball‘s adaptation of the storied fantasy video game franchise have been closely guarded so far, including exactly what direction the story will take. Moreover, outside of Link and Zelda, who were first shown off last November, every other cast member has remained a mystery. One character all but certain to appear, however, was undoubtedly the Hero of Time’s timeless foe, Ganondorf. Now, the evil warlock has finally been unveiled.
Uli Latukefu, known for embodying Dwayne Johnson in his earlier years for the NBC sitcom Young Rock, will wield the Triforce of Power in the much-anticipated feature. With his casting made official, the franchise’s main trio have finally been locked in, as he’ll join fellow rising stars Bo Bragason and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, who are playing Zelda and Link, respectively. Latufeku‘s deal also gives a hint at Nintendo and Sony‘s future plans for The Legend of Zelda as a cinematic franchise. He signed a multi-picture pact, all but confirming that, assuming the first film does well, there will be more clashes between Link and Ganondorf in the years to come.
Embodying Ganondorf will be a big step for Latukefu in his cinematic career after having previously appeared in Black Adam, MaXXXine, and more recently, the ill-fated Prime Video series, Countdown. The wizard is one of Nintendo‘s most recognizable villains next to Mario’s Bowser, acting as the main antagonist of the lion’s share of Zelda games, whether in his human Gerudo form or as the more beastly, pig-like Ganon. No matter what form he takes or what version of the world he’s in, he often seeks to conquer it, imposing his might through the use of the Triforce of Power, which gives him abilities that no other mortals possess and that only his fellow Triforce wielders, Link and Zelda, have been able to stand against. In the live-action film, his sights will once again be set upon Hyrule, attempting to dominate the kingdom and impose his wicked rule over all.
‘The Legend of Zelda’ Is Primed for a Busy Several Months
Both Shigeru Miyamoto and Avi Arad are producing The Legend of Zelda, while T.S. Nowlin penned the latest version of the script. More information is bound to be revealed soon, but until then, Nintendo has other priorities involving Hyrule. The film will arrive at the perfect time to tie into the video game giant’s upcoming, much-anticipated remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which was shown off at a Nintendo Direct presentation back in June. An exact date hasn’t been set for its launch on Nintendo Switch 2, but it has been confirmed to hit store shelves before the end of the year, perhaps even in the Grand Theft Auto VI-dominated November.
The Legend of Zelda arrives in theaters on April 30, 2027.
via Collider