close
close

The movie “The Legend of Zelda” was supposed to feature the strangest characters in the series

The movie “The Legend of Zelda” was supposed to feature the strangest characters in the series

One of the obvious problems with adapting video games to movies is the huge difference in length. A video game that is twice as long as an average movie is considered extremely short. Even if not all of the time is used to develop the plot, it is still too much for a feature-length movie. The Legend of Zelda will soon make its live-action debut, but the filmmakers will have to make cuts. While they’ll likely trim some elements, they’d be doing the franchise a disservice if they left out all of the unique oddities.



GAMERANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT

There is almost too much of The Legend of Zelda to speculate what the first feature film adaptation might look like. Almost everyone Zelda game has a radically different tone, art style, cast and presentation. Nintendo had a similar problem when they sat down to work The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Zelda presents a much more drastic range of options, but all games have elements in common. No matter how dark the Zelda franchise, there are always a few silly supporting characters running around.


Related

The movie “The Legend of Zelda” can only have one dungeon

The Legend of Zelda games are famous for their dungeons, but multiple dungeons don’t really work in one movie.

The Legend of Zelda The film presents several challenges

A screenshot of Link holding a glowing Master Sword in a forest in The Legend of Zelda.

director

Wes Ball

writer

Derek Connolly

Well-known producers

Shigeru Miyamoto, Avi Arad

Well-known studios

Nintendo, Sony

Everyone knew that The Legend of Zelda would one day find its way to the big screen. It was a horror story passed around among fans who were fed up with terrible video game movies. People made memes of Tom Holland in a green beanie and Idris Elba in a badly photoshopped wig. The cultural influence of video game movies changed a few years ago. Sonic the Hedgehog, Detective Pikachuand myself Uncharted changed the reputation of the genre. The big turning point was Nintendo’s The Super Mario Bros. MovieNintendo made an absurd amount of money with a decent film adaptation of the popular franchise. With this success, a sequel is guaranteed. The Legend of Zelda has the cultural impact to replicate or possibly surpass Mariosuccess. It also has a complexity that makes good, old-fashioned Mario not. Will they adapt a specific game or try to capture the series in general? What tone do they want to strike? How will they handle the visual elements? Questions like these have Zelda The film has been in its lengthy development phase for the past few years, and now that it’s in production, they’ve probably made their decisions.


The Legend of Zelda Has several strange characters

Everyone has had the experience of being in a Zelda game. Many of them stand around and give advice. Some are too boring to stand out. Some have striking designs that make the player wish they had more to do. However, some special non-playable characters capture the imagination by being strikingly strange. Tingle is the ideal poster boy. Since his first appearance in Majora’s MaskTingle is one of the strangest people in Nintendo’s catalog. He’s a small adult man in a green spandex jumpsuit and matching stocking cap. He claims to be the reincarnated spirit of a fairy, but he’s unmistakably a guy who uses a personal hot air balloon to explore Hyrule and makes a living selling maps. This is a bizarre little guy who deserves the years of attention he’s received. The same goes for the emotionally abusive Happy Mask Salesman. The same goes for Beedle, the pathologically hapless shopkeeper who has to give his customers a map so they can track him. The first NPC in the franchise, the nameless old man who gives Link his sword, has a bizarre presence. He’s a robe-clad elder who hides in a cave to give a weapon to wandering children. The modern franchise still has icons like Hestu, the best musician in the Korok Forest, who also needs a stranger to collect the missing beads from his maracas. These icons are crucial to this franchise.


The Legend of Zelda The film should put the supporting characters in the foreground

The Legend of Zelda - Link

The obvious way to cut off a Legend of Zelda The best way to make a film would be to focus solely on the main characters. Tell a personal, direct and self-contained story about a brave hero braving turbulent circumstances to save the princess from a powerful villain. That’s probably the simplest way to handle the franchise while still delivering the essential experience. The Legend of Zelda isn’t just about saving the princess and defeating the villain. It’s also about traveling through a fantasy world and getting to know its people. Some of those people will always be unique. Embracing the bizarre elements of this otherwise grounded world is a perfect way to immerse fans in the world of Hyrule. Without the experience of exploring the world, they need strong personalities to sell them. Link, Zelda, and even Ganon aren’t known for their strong charisma. That’s where the weirdos come in.


The Zelda The film will face many uphill battles. Deciding what to keep and what to cut will give some creators sleepless nights. No decision will ever satisfy 100% of the franchise’s massive fan base. However, choosing to anchor the franchise in generic fantasy trappings and abandon the weird and wonderful presences that become iconic would be a mistake. The Legend of Zelda The film is expected to be groundbreaking in several ways, including finally giving Tingle the big-screen spotlight he has always deserved.

Related

To get the movie “The Legend of Zelda” right, one character is more important than Link

Link will undoubtedly be the star of The Legend of Zelda, but they need to get this character right for the film to work.