Former Nintendo Veteran Says Link Finally Speaking in The Legend of Zelda Movie Risks Ruining the Series' Magic

Link speaking successful Nintendo's upcoming live-action The Legend of Zelda movie risks the series' "magic," a erstwhile Nintendo developer has said.

Writing connected X/Twitter, Zelda: Majora's Mask creation manager Takaya Imamura shared his concerns astir yet proceeding Link speech — thing helium believes could ruin thing peculiar astir Nintendo's seasoned series.

While Nintendo has not yet confirmed that Link volition decidedly talk successful adjacent year's blockbuster film, it's thing that galore fans consciousness is inevitable arsenic the franchise shifts to the large screen. To date, of course, Link has been a famously soundless protagonist — but it seems intolerable that Nintendo volition support this up successful a movie.

"The infinitesimal Link speaks, I can't assistance but interest a small that the 'Zelda magic' everyone has been nurturing successful their hearts mightiness conscionable vanish into bladed air," Imamura wrote, successful remarks translated from Japanese.

Responding to a instrumentality who pointed retired that Link has ever canonically been capable to talk (and sometimes does off-screen), Imamura agreed it would beryllium much apt that Link would talk sparingly. "In the movie, they'll evidently talk," helium continued, "but it seems similar it'll beryllium a taciturn character, huh."

Imamura, near Nintendo successful 2021, aft serving 32 years astatine the company. His tenure began backmost successful the 1989, wherever helium rapidly recovered fame designing the characters seen successful aboriginal NES hits similar F-Zero and Star Fox — including Fox McCloud himself, arsenic good arsenic Captain Falcon.

The years since saw Imamura proceed to supervise the improvement of consequent F-Zero and Star Fox games, portion directing Nintendo's lesser known submarine sim bid Steel Diver. After a play without a large hit, Imamura, present 59, officially retired from the institution and has since entered teaching, portion moving connected a caller manga project.

Filming for The Legend of Zelda is presently inactive ongoing successful New Zealand, wherever fans person been trying to support an oculus connected wherever the accumulation is shooting. Late past year, unofficial videos shared connected societal media featured a glimpse of Zelda histrion Bo Bragason and Link histrion Benjamin Evan Ainsworth successful the midst of a wood scene. Following that archetypal acceptable leak, fans judge Severance prima Dichen Lachman has been formed arsenic Zelda's trusty adjutant Impa, though Nintendo has yet to corroborate this.

Officially announced successful November 2023, Nintendo's live-action The Legend of Zelda task is being produced by the company's legendary Shigeru Miyamoto (previously Imamura's boss), alongside Avi Arad, erstwhile CEO of Marvel Studios. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' Wes Ball is directing, from a screenplay by Jurassic World writer Derek Connolly.

The Legend of Zelda is presently acceptable to get successful theaters connected May 7, 2027, and fans expect to spot overmuch much of it aboriginal this twelvemonth erstwhile Nintendo gets astir to marking the Zelda franchise's 40th anniversary. Following a caller leak, Nintendo is besides believed to beryllium processing a Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake for Switch 2.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social