The Legend Of Zelda Director Wants To Create A “Live-Action Miyazaki” Movie

Legend of Zelda

The director of the upcoming The Legend of Zelda live-action movie is hoping to create something akin to the work of acclaimed filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Wes Ball said he’s heavily influenced by the work of the Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle director, and is treating Zelda as untapped material.

According to Ball, who directed the Maze Runner trilogy, his take on Zelda is “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."

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"It’s going to be awesome," Ball added. "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."

Ball is currently working on Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, and is hoping that he’ll be able to jump into The Legend of Zelda next.

"We’re working on the script, and whether it’s the next one or not, it’s hard to say exactly," he said.

"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."

The Legend of Zelda movie is being produced by Sony Pictures and Nintendo, with Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto and Arad Productions' Avi Arad on board. It follows the success of the Super Mario Bros. Movie, which scored over $1 billion at theatres on release.