As weird as it is to write, Sony has said it’s working very closely with Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto on the upcoming film adaptation.
Ever since it was announced, it’s felt strange that Sony is the one to help Nintendo make its live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda. But, it is, and for Sony Motion Pictures Group chair Tom Rothman, who spoke to Deadline in a recent interview with the outlet, “The Legend of Zelda is going to be huge for us. Massive.” Rothman also spoke of how these days, “if you want a star, you’ve got to have great material,” and that in turn brings you a great filmmaker, so you want something fresh and original to get an “exciting filmmaker.” But, he also stressed that “big IP movies are going to stay big,” seemingly trying to make it clear that IP is king at the box office over just having good material. “The Legend of Zelda is going to be huge for us,” he went on to say. “Massive.”
Rothman also explained that “the movie is being developed and made in the closest possible collaboration with Shigeru Miyamoto. He’s a true genius in that world, and it’s really his strong vision that is motivating it. He created it and understands it thoroughly. You only [need] to look at the results of Super Mario Brothers to see.” He did also go on to note how the “larger point” he’s making is that “a healthy slate going forward is not going to be one side of the divide or the other. It’s going to have a balance of big IP solid sequels.” Following that he listed off sequels for films like Across the Spider-Verse, a new Tom Holland Spider-Man, more Karate Kid films, and the third and last Venom, so you can get the feeling how important those big names are for Sony.
Earlier this month, Tears of the Kingdom celebrated its first anniversary, a game that never really felt like a sequel, but more like a second act. Zelda film director Wes Ball also spoke of the adaptation earlier this month, where he shared that he’s aiming for something “grounded.”