By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.
Off the success of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” we are now getting a “The Legend of Zelda” film adaptation. Money talks. It’s smart for Nintendo to get a “Zelda” film in pre-production. The “Mario Bros. Movie” made $1.36 billion at the box office, globally. And it had a budget of $100 million.
The thing about the “Mario” film was that everybody knows “Super Mario Bros.” Do people know “The Legend of Zelda,” yes, but is it as massive a global brand like “Mario”?
Nintendo must have an exceptional script. A good story that sticks to the video game’s lore is essential. That’s what the “Mario” film did so well, and audiences went back to see it more than once.
I hope the film doesn’t take itself too seriously, but the “Zelda” games have a more serious tone than the “Mario” games. The movie should still be a fun ride. If it’s live action, whoever is cast as Princess Zelda and Link is crucial. The film would be better if it was animated like “Mario.” They could have the same studio, Illumination, that worked on the “Mario” movie. Live action could work, but why take that risk when Nintendo hit a homerun with “Mario”? The voice acting was superb in “Mario,” especially Jack Black as Bowser. Will there be musical numbers in the “Zelda” film?
The “Mario” movie had a smart structure to it. It didn’t feel overstuffed with easter eggs, and the runtime was just right. “Zelda” will probably have to be a longer film. It needs to have the feel of an epic and still have a tight runtime and be fun for children. That’ll be tough to pull off, but with an intelligent, entertaining script, a good film is certainly possible.