Recently, Wes Ball made headlines when he refused to name his favorite game from The Legend of Zelda franchise when asked by an IGN reporter. The interaction, which can be seen below, was met by some consternation and fear that the film maker in charge of bringing Nintendo’s treasured IP to live action was not a true fan.
Others argued that his refusal to name a favorite game was a savvy move and suggests Ball knows the fan base well enough to understand the potential fallout online for sharing. Fans of course would react strongly if he didn’t name their favorite Zelda game as his own, or even worry his choice would influence the atmosphere and vibe of the film if he names one of the more divisive Zelda games.
This idea, that his favorite Zelda game could influence the direction of the live-action film, got me thinking about which game would be best suited as the canvas for his artistic rendering of the franchise. And while they’re not my top favorites, I must say that the Era of the Wilds games (Breath of the Wild, Age of Calamity, and Tears of the Kingdom) seem the obvious choice.
While I love the grim atmosphere of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, its tone wouldn’t hit the demographic mark for a broad audience; additionally, while the Twili and assorted villagers around Hyrule would provide some interested story potential, there’s simply not enough material to create a full length film (And yes, I’ve read and adore the non-canon manga).
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is another good candidate for the film’s setting. The open ocean would provide plenty of room for story development and for gently expanding the narrative scope in the watery sandbox of the apocalyptic Hyrule. However, a live-action film would likely need to feature an adult link, or at least a young man of 16-18 years of age in order to be taken seriously.
Titles like Skyward Sword and Majora’s Mask don’t feature Ganondorf–an absolute must for any initial Zelda film. That leaves Ocarina of Time, a choice that would likely please many nostalgic fans; but the reality is that the classic Zelda from Nintendo 64 is too well known and has been played so often, that any adaptation would be entirely predictable and therefore lose some of its magic during the transition to the silver screen.
The Era of the Wilds games, however, avoid all of these issues. Link is a powerful adult warrior. The lore and the open-world are massive, giving writers loads of material to work with in order to spin out not just one film, but a whole trilogy. Locations like the Gerudo Desert, the snow-bound Hebra region, the densely populated Zora’s Domain, and the magnificent Death Mountain could be explored over a trilogy much in the manner Middle Earth is explored in the Lord of the Rings films. And because no two playthroughs of these games are the same (thanks to the open-world concept), any storytelling would be less established and less predictable, thus keeping the audience in suspense.
Tell us what you think! Which Zelda game would you want as the setting for the live-action film from Wes Ball? Share your reactions in the comments below or join the conversation on Boss Rush Network’s Discord, Facebook, and Twitter.
Featured Image: Nintendo
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