A new report from Deadline, cited by PC Gamer, indicates that actor Sam Neill will appear in the forthcoming live-action Legend of Zelda film, a joint Nintendo and Sony production. Neill, who died on July 13 in Sydney, Australia, finished filming his role in New Zealand in April, months before his death. Sony has not confirmed his casting. An official statement following his death said the loss was "sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free," referencing his history with blood cancer. The Zelda role will not be Neill's only posthumous screen appearance; he is also set to appear in Godzilla x Kong: Supernova and The Last Resort, both expected in 2027.
Alongside the report on Neill, three new cast members have been confirmed for the film. Uli Latukefu, known for playing Dwayne Johnson in NBC's Young Rock and for his role in Netflix's Marco Polo, will play the villain Ganondorf. According to GamesRadar+, Deadline reports that Latukefu has signed on to play the character across multiple films, which supports earlier rumors that Nintendo and Sony are planning a trilogy. Dichen Lachman (Severance) and Yvonne Strahovski (The Handmaid's Tale) have also joined the cast, though their specific roles have not been detailed.
These new additions join previously announced stars Bo Bragason (Renegade Nell) as Princess Zelda and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link. Sources differ slightly on how to describe Ainsworth's prior work: PC Gamer notes his role in Son of a Critch, while GamesRadar+ and Polygon point to The Haunting of Bly Manor and his more recent appearance in House of the Dragon Season 3 as Daeron Targaryen, a largely silent but expressive part that Polygon says has boosted fan confidence in his casting as Link.
The film is directed by Wes Ball, known for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and the Maze Runner trilogy, with Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto serving as a producer. GamesRadar+ reports the script comes from Derek Connolly (Detective Pikachu) and T.S. Nowlin (The Maze Runner). Polygon notes that in 2024, Ball told the outlet he wanted the film to feel "grounded" and "real." Filming took place in New Zealand, Neill's native country, and wrapped in April 2026, according to Polygon.
Sources vary somewhat on the film's release timeline. PC Gamer and IGN's report as summarized by Polygon both cite an April 30 release date, while GamesRadar+ notes the film was originally set for March 26, 2027, before being pushed to May 7 and ultimately moved up to April 30. Polygon also reports that Nintendo's recent financial results describe the Zelda film as part of a broader strategy following the box-office success of the Super Mario Galaxy movie, which the outlet says earned $1 billion. Nintendo's statement, as quoted by Polygon, said the company will "take a variety of approaches to continually create contact points with Nintendo characters all over the world."