The Legend of Zelda movie director would ‘love it to be like a live-action Miyazaki’
Wes Ball says his whole life “has led up to this moment”
The director of the upcoming The Legend of Zelda movie has discussed his vision for the live-action adaptation.
It was announced last month that the film will be helmed by Wes Ball, the director behind the Maze Runner trilogy and next year’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
And in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Ball said his vision for the movie is inspired by the work of Studio Ghibli co-founder and Spirited Away director Hayao Miyazaki.
He told the publication he sees the Zelda film as “this awesome fantasy-adventure movie that isn’t like Lord of the Rings, it’s its own thing. I’ve always said, I would love to see a live-action Miyazaki. That wonder and whimsy that he brings to things, I would love to see something like that.”
Ball, who said as far back as 2010 that he hoped someone would bring Zelda to the big screen, claimed: “It’s going to be awesome. My whole life has led up to this moment. I grew up on Zelda and it is the most important property, I think, that’s untapped IP, if you will.
“So we very much are working hard to do something. We’re not just trying to do it because we can. We want to make something really special.”
Since I could never even hope to have the chance to direct it… the next big mo-cap Avatar-like movie should be… THE LEGEND OF ZELDA.
— Wes Ball (@wesball) January 29, 2010
The Legend of Zelda series launched in 1986 and has sold in the region of 140 million units worldwide.
Following years of speculation, Nintendo announced the Legend of Zelda movie last month.
It will be co-financed by Nintendo and Sony Pictures Entertainment and co-produced by Nintendo and Arad Productions.
Serving as producers are Shigeru Miyamoto, representative director and fellow of Nintendo, and veteran Hollywood producer Avi Arad, the former chief creative officer of Marvel Entertainment.
