Nintendo and Sony have officially cast the leads in their live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda. In a Wednesday post, legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto revealed that Bo Bragason will portray Princess Zelda and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth will step into the role of Link. The announcement came complete with the first official costume photos of the pair.
Bragason, a British actress, has appeared in BBC One’s Three Girls and The Jetty, as well as Disney+’s Renegade Nell and the 2024 vampire comedy The Radleys. Ainsworth, also from the U.K., brings experience from The Haunting of Bly Manor, Netflix’s The Sandman, Disney’s live-action Pinocchio, and the Canadian comedy Son of a Critch.
Set to hit theaters on May 7, 2027, the film was pushed back from its original March release due to production adjustments. Directed by Wes Ball—best known for The Maze Runner series and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes—the movie promises a fresh take on Hyrule, embracing a tone more aligned with Hayao Miyazaki’s whimsical fantasy than the epic sweep of Lord of the Rings. Miyamoto and Avi Arad are producing, with Sony Pictures co-financing alongside Nintendo.
This casting ends weeks of speculation—Euphoria star Hunter Schafer was among the fan favorites for Zelda, but the role ultimately went to the relative newcomer, Bragason.
Nintendo and Sony appear to be setting up a long-term vision by choosing rising young actors—Ainsworth is just 16—mirroring strategies behind franchises like Harry Potter and Stranger Things.
With the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie fresh in mind, expectations are high. Can Zelda capture similar magic? Fans and critics alike will be watching closely when she steps onto the big screen in 2027.
