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Wes Ball's upcoming The Legend of Zelda adaptation doesn't have a release date, but fans can expect it to bow out in theaters by the end of the decade. The live-action project is already well on its way, as it boasts an exciting creative team and staunch support by major video game company Nintendo. While fans are expecting it to come to fruition sooner rather than later, they can now be sure that The Legend of Zelda will hit theaters by the end of 2030.

In Nintendo's quarterly financial report ending for the rest of the year and ending March 2025, a graphic was revealed sharing their upcoming film adaptations in the works. Alongside a poster teasing the upcoming The Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel, the image revealed The Legend of Zelda is set to be released in theaters at some point during the 2020s. It's fair to say it won't be released next year or likely in 2026, but it could be filmed within the next few years. Yes, fans will have to wait quite a while, but it is nice to have a realistic timeline from Nintendo themselves. The company teased the new projects in their report:

“Looking ahead, we are creating a new animated film based on the world of Super Mario Bros., set for theatrical release in April 2026. Additionally, we are planning and developing a live-action film of The Legend of Zelda.”

 Wes Ball, who helmed the Maze Runner trilogy and the critically acclaimed Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes film, lends his unique visual talents to one of the greatest video game properties of all time. Although fans of the franchise desired an animated film featuring Link's quest to save Hyrule and its princess Zelda, it's hard to argue that Ball doesn't have the directing chops to pull off a live-action adaptation. Details remain scarce regarding the upcoming film, but The Legend of Zelda has our attention until 2030, if we're all still here by that point, of course.

Before Zelda, Plenty of Video Game Adaptations Are on the Way

The Legend of Zelda is arguably one of the more anticipated live-action adaptations on the way, but one can't forget what paved the road to get here. In a comeback most didn't see coming, the Sonic the Hedgehog movie franchise has become a smash-hit success worldwide, leading to a much-hyped third installment featuring Keanu Reeves as fan-favorite Shadow the Hedgehog. Of course, some aren't doing well, like the panned box office bomb Borderlands from Lionsgate, released earlier this year. Still, even critically divisive films like Uncharted saw good results in movie theater turnout. The Legend of Zelda will hopefully carry the moment the genre is currently facing, both on film and television screens.

On the TV side of things, video game adaptations are becoming premiere television events. HBO's Emmy-winning The Last of Us series, which gets a highly-anticipated second season next year, and Netflix's Arcane, a smash-hit animated show based on the League of Legends franchise, have been the standouts from the past few years. Meanwhile, Castlevania, and most recently Tomb Raider, have all received more than solid animated versions on the small screen. Yes, live-action is all the rage right now, but it seems video game adaptations are here to stay and rapidly growing in different formats.

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