Director Wes Ball’s live-action The Legend of Zelda film must meet many expectations when adapting Nintendo’s widely loved fantasy video games. The exact plot of The Legend of Zelda film is unknown, but the video games usually follow the young hero Link as he attempts to aid Princess Zelda in defending the kingdom of Hyrule from evil. Since there are several Zelda games that the film can draw inspiration from, the latter can present a vast and layered fantasy epic on the big screen.
However, it’s unclear which game in the franchise Ball intends to adapt for his Legend of Zelda movie in 2027. It also hasn’t been revealed whether he plans to adapt multiple games into one movie. Nevertheless, Ball and his team should build the film’s story around that of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the franchise’s first 3D game and the most pivotal story in the universe.
The Legend of Zelda Movie Should Adapt Ocarina Of Time
Ocarina Of Time Is The Best Story To Kick Off The Zelda Film Franchise
Ocarina of Time saw the young orphan Link answer the call of destiny and leave his home in Kokiri Forest to help Princess Zelda stop the evil Ganondorf from claiming the Triforce and conquering Hyrule. Ocarina of Time features Link embarking on a traditional Hero’s Journey, which unfolds within a vast and emotionally charged narrative with a family-friendly tone, making it worthy of a big-budget film adaptation.
Ocarina of Time alone features such rich history and world-building, including the Creation of the World and the Triforce at the hands of the Golden Goddesses. It also introduced the Hyrulean Civil War that, while hardly explored, was a crucial part of Link’s origin story. Like in The Lord of the Rings, this past conflict could set up an arc for the races of Hyrule to overcome their differences and their bloody past to unite against their common foe: Ganondorf.
Ocarina Of Time Deserves To Be Made Into A Film
Ocarina Of Time Made The Legend Of Zelda What It Is Today
Aside from Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, Ocarina of Time is arguably the most influential Legend of Zelda game ever made, not just for its 3D gameplay. The game revolutionized the franchise, introducing races such as the Sheikah, Gorons, and Zoras, and bringing distinctive depth and diversity to the world of Hyrule. Simply put, it was the first game that wasn’t just about Link or Zelda.
Additionally, the use of time travel in Ocarina of Time caused the franchise’s timeline to split into three separate paths. While these timelines continue to be debated, the game still laid the foundation for several other stories across multiple realities within the Zelda franchise.
More importantly, the director could add lore to the film that was only added to the Zelda franchise after Ocarina of Time.
Despite its more dated 3D graphics, Ocarina of Time made the Zelda series much more cinematic as its world and characters looked far more real than they did in an 8-bit video game. This paved the way for more advanced 3D games like The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, Breath of the Wild, and Tears of the Kingdom to present the franchise as epic and realistic works of art.
The Legend Of Zelda Movies Could Integrate Some Elements From Other Games
The Filmmakers Can Still Draw From Decades Of Zelda Lore And Storylines
Like the Marvel, DC, and Sonic the Hedgehog films, the Ocarina of Time movie should adapt elements from other Zelda games to build up its story for the big screen. For one thing, Ball’s film adaptation could have Link sporting his blue tunic and black hood from Breath of the Wild, which has become even more popular and distinctive than the hero’s Peter Pan-inspired green garb.
More importantly, the director could add lore to the film that was only added to the Zelda franchise after Ocarina of Time. For example, Skyward Sword established much of the Zelda franchise’s current mythos, introducing the Goddess Hylia and her war with Demise and linking it to the origins of Hyrule. This could be integrated into the film to add more depth to the story’s world and history, setting it apart from the story in the Ocarina of Time game.
Likewise, Ganondorf’s character in The Wind Waker could be applied to the film’s version of him. Instead of the archetypal evil he embodied in the Ocarina of Time game, Ganondorf ended up being a more layered, realistic, and even sympathetic figure in The Wind Waker that should be adapted for the film. This could prevent him from coming across as a one-dimensional villain in Ball’s movie, adding more compelling realism to his character.
How An Ocarina Of Time Movie Adaptation Could Lead To Other Films
Ocarina Of Time Itself Can’t Be Fully Told In Just One Zelda Movie
To adapt Ocarina of Time’s extensive story for cinemas the right way, filmmakers would require more than just a single movie. Ball could divide the game’s story into two films in his rumored Legend of Zelda film trilogy, with the split preferably occurring when young Link claims the Master Sword and inadvertently leads Ganondorf to the Triforce.
By dividing the story between before and after Ganondorf conquers Hyrule, each film would have a distinctive tone and enough time to explore Hyrule, its people, and the fallout of Ganondorf’s reign.
This was a major turning point in Ocarina of Time’s story, not just because Ganondorf was able to dominate Hyrule. Link also becomes trapped in the Sacred Realm for seven years, causing the player to spend much of the game’s second half controlling an adult Link in a Hyrule ravaged by evil. By dividing the story between before and after Ganondorf conquers Hyrule, each film would have a distinctive tone and enough time to explore Hyrule, its people, and the fallout of Ganondorf’s reign.
The use of time travel in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time can also allow the franchise’s timeline to split into separate realities, just as in the video games. This could open the door for faithful adaptations of many other games on film, creating a Zelda Cinematic Multiverse. The existence of alternate timelines would also make it easier for filmmakers to adapt these different stories without interfering with the previously established canon.
Overall, Ocarina of Time is the perfect game to introduce moviegoers to The Legend of Zelda‘s mᴀssive and vibrant world, as well as its various characters, in Ball’s live-action adaptation. Since Ocarina of Time laid the foundation for many other games to succeed and build up Hyrule even more, its story is also the best choice to set up the franchise’s overarching narrative on film.
