Universal Pictures has set its sights on The Legend of Zelda as its next big video game movie adaptation. According to Hollywood insider Jeff Sneider, Universal is in the process of closing a deal with Nintendo and the animation studio Illumination to make it happen.
“I’m told that Universal is, in fact, closing a ‘big deal’ with the Nintendo corporation for The Legend of Zelda,” Sneider said on the latest episode of The Hot Mic podcast. “Zelda is looking like the next big Illumination-Nintendo franchise, which we were all sort of expecting. I’m told that is happening.”
He went on to say that it will cost Universal a “pretty penny” following the massive success of The Super Marios Bros. Movie, which has raked in $1 billion worldwide on its way to becoming the highest-grossing video game movie adaptation.
Watch the video below for Sneider’s remarks. The segment begins around the three-minute mark.
The first Legend of Zelda game was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987, with the most recent title, Tears of the Kingdom, arriving this May. Marking the sequel to 2017’s Breath of the Wild, it moved more than 10 million copies in its first three days of release.
With a total of 20 mainline entries in The Legend of Zelda franchise, there’s plenty of material to work with. Stay tuned for more news about the adaptation as it trickles in.
