RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 5 sourcesCasting news for Nintendo’s long-brewing Zelda movie has been leaking out at a steady pace today, starting with reports that Australian actor—and former Baby Dwayne Johnson —Uli Latukefu had been cast as the series’ resident bad guy, Ganondorf. Now, Deadline reports what is arguably an even bigger casting reveal: That actor Sam Neill, who died in July of this year , had filmed an unnamed role for the film.
Although unconfirmed by Nintendo, Neill’s reps, or Sony—which is producing the film adaptation of the long-running game series—the news came in the midst of a whole passel of other casting reports for Wes Ball’s 2027 movie. That includes a report that Dichen Lachman—best known for her role on Apple TV’s Severance —and TV mainstay Yvonne Strahovski have also been added to the movie’s roster. Given that these are all unconfirmed reports, no official roles have been attached for any of these performers, although Lachman is supposedly on the hook to play Impa, Princess Zelda’s bodyguard and friend. Given that the Zelda franchise has a lot of older men kicking around to do mentor duties spread across its various games, meanwhile, it’s hard to zero in on which one Neill might have played—although if he doesn’t end up handing Benjamin Evan Ainsworth’s Link a sword and telling him “It’s dangerous to go alone, take this,” it’d feel like something of a waste.
So far, Ainsworth and Bo Bragason (who’s playing Zelda) are the only officially confirmed cast members for the movie, which Ball is directing from a script by his old Maze Runner collaborator T.S. Nowlin. Filming on the movie reportedly wrapped back in April, with the studio currently aiming at an April 30, 2027 release date. Plot details about the film are being kept tightly under wraps, although we’re going to go ahead and assume that magical triangles and flutes will pop up at some point or another.
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