Sony Is Co-Financing Nintendo's Live-Action Zelda Movie

Not surprising, given that Sony's movie department isn't the same as the console department. They're basically different companies ran under the same massive company.

Oh snap. Confirmation that Switch 2 is coming any day now.

Wow Sony and Nintendo finally becomes partner at last. This is the second time Sony and Nintendo work together. First time was when they both work on the Super NES PlayStation add-on/console.

I will be there to laugh at how terrible this movie is going to be.

At least Jim Ryan won't be involved to censor anything.
lol

Obviously, this is a totally different division of Sony. I highly doubt anyone at PlayStation is involved in any capacity. So the irony isn't really that ironic tbh but still pretty funny if you think about it.

Title should be prefixed with “In a rare turn of events…”

That’s pretty wild though, wow.

Guys! Guys! Guys! My uncle who works at Nintendo told me there will be a post credit scene announcing the switch 2!

Please don’t adapt Ocarina, the story wouldn’t work in a movie format.

@blindsquirrel I'm hoping for an original story but I wouldn't say no to a pre-Skyward Sword adaptation.

'Sony drooling over all that Nintendo cash'

I feel like I was the only one thinking all along, they're not going to Illumination for Zelda. Just because they scored big time with Mario. Nintendo don't let success with one group dictate future plans and they don't put their eggs in one basket for game development surely not for film production either. That being said, Sony of all companies. I thought maybe some other Universal division like Dreamworks or NBC Universal Studios would get on. So hears to surprises

It is interesting, given that Sony Animation was reportedly in strong contention to make the Mario Movie, with Arad reported claiming himself once to be “the proud father” of this once-developing project. With this photo being leaked during the 2014 Sony leak.

But given the success of Illumination’s Mario Movie, one would have thought that Nintendo would continue their partnership with Universal. What a get from Sony.

Nintendo: Next the new console Nintendo GameStation. 🍿

Quality-wise Sony Pictures has far more misses than hits, and Avi Arad's track record with blockbusters is mostly average to bad, with some (SOME) great Spider-Man flicks. If they had a visionary director I'd be optimistic but Ball's work seems very average.

Nintendo could have done something exciting, but I fear this will be just as uninspired (but profitable) as this year's Mario movie.

Looking at the directors’ records, I have hope that it will be a good movie. That, and Miyamoto being directly involved

If only XBox had known, they could have used it as evidence that they're the little guy in the console wars.

Also, isn't the Illumination CEO on Nintendo's board now? May he recused himself from this...or maybe it got really awkward.

Well, this is certainly a strange turn of events! My broad prediction here, based on the info we have so far, is that this project will turn out "okay", not dissimilar to how I felt about the Mario Movie. Too cheesy and limp to be legendary, but enough going on to entertain and do "well enough" with the brand. Be ready to be "whelmed".

In all fairness, Sony is a pretty large company, with their film production division being separate from their PlayStation division. Even if Nintendo and PlayStation are bitter rivals, there's no reason why they can't partner in other areas.

Yes, I am well aware of how Nintendo stabbed Sony in the back when they partnered with Philips in the early 1990s, announcing the partnership the day after Sony revealed the CD add-on for the SNES. Sony was right to be bitter about it then, but it has been over 30 years since then.

After all, if we look at the bitter rivalry between Sega and Nintendo throughout the same decade, yet have since been good partners for longer than they have been rivals, nothing is stopping Nintendo and Sony from burying the hatchet from 30 years ago and partnering on certain projects.

The way I see it, it is healthier for the Big Three publishers--Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft--to work together as friends more than rivals. They can still offer exclusive content on their respective platforms, but should not shy away from collaborating from time to time.

I know that, as a hardcore gamer who plays all of the platforms, I would certainly welcome that. It would probably be only the console fanboys who would have a problem with it.

@Thomystic Illumination is already making the Mario sequel. And I think that the Zelda movie will be live action, not an animation.

I believe it will be very difficult to do a good Zelda movie. But at any rate, we are definitely going to hear Link’s voice!

well that's odd.

I think a skyward sword story would be the most entertaining, but I'm expecting an original story

I just hopes them co-financing it doesn't mean they have any creative power over it.

@Croctopus The PlayStation brand being highly successful in spite of Nintendo trying to kill it 30 years ago does speak pretty loudly for there to not be a reason for hard feelings.

So Nintendo is gonna break the deal because they want to do it in house and sony will make their own version. “The Legend of Knil” coming soon.

I mean if this brings in a new generation so be it. Please don't mess with games though. Thankfully I trust Nintendos current leadership.. but who knows in 20 years time?

you would think if sony financing a huge part of this movie they will get some creativity in making it

omfg are they not aware that there are real, serious directors in film? smfh 😞

@Rioichi

"The film is not even out yet and some people are already saying it's cringe and it will be bad."

yeah bud this isn't my first rodeo, as they say 😂

Simply put, Sony Pictures has the best animation studio that could've worked with Zelda's artistic flexibility... (besides Ghibli style)
I wonder what kind of tone it will have, "Game of Thrones for a younger audience"?

I knew years ago thanks to a rumour that Nintendo wanted to give TLoZ the live-action treatment with Netflix, yet they scrapped such plans as soon as the rumour leaked onto the internet. That's why I at least trust this project, if everything turns right, it could have potential for other projects.

Call me crazy but for me, watching this movie boils down to if Link talks or not (which he should not). Doesn't really matter how it's made or the studio behind the project.

Sony is bankrolling the movie so they can get the game based on the movie on PlayStation.😂

I'm assuming it's a new origin story w/ soldier Link and Princess Zelda searching for the master sword, meeting with unnamed Goron who talks like Gimli and a woman warrior along the way to defeat Gannon but everything else will just be generic fantasy, w/ lots and lots of Easter eggs like Beedle and the mailman.

So, Wizard of Oz where Link is Toto.🤣

Most rivalry is in gamer's heads. The big three are competition, not opposition...

Nintendo and Sony are working together again. İn the movie there will be sure: Link, princess Zelda, İmpa, Ganondorf and Ganon.

Unfortunately, they'll bail out of the project with Sony, enlist Philips as a replacement, bail out with them but allow them to do a movie or 3, and that's how we get The Faces of Evil the Movie.

Confirming Zelda is coming to the PS Triple. Sony probably gets a license to make some CD-i games themselves.

It's ok for the movie but I would rather hear about a new Zelda game ...

@Savage_Joe - It's amazing how two people can look at the same thing and come to the exact opposite conclusions.

As long as they don’t switch to Phillip’s I suppose…

Im pretty let down it's live action not animated like Mario movie I was picturing more like anime style movie instead its live action I don't like sounds of it unless they get casting right and Link better not talk I have zero hope in this.

Live action? That’s got to be the highest risk ever! I would have settled with an animated Zelda from lamination.

Live action video game movies go so wrong.
Please don’t let Sony give the job to P.S.Anderson and his wife as Zelda

Nintendo working with Sony is the part of the movie, that worries me the most. I was even thinking of selling my PlayStation 5 lately.

Definitely Orlando bloom as link.

This is 100% going to be a train wreck. I’ll start lasering off my Zelda tattoo before it becomes whatever Mario is right now.

It's a trap, Sony could be out to ruin Zelda franchise!

@CazSonOfCaz That’s the power of differing opinions. The One Piece Netflix series taught me that having the creator directly involved in the process really helps the final product. What Miyamoto must do is say no to parts that would otherwise derail the plot or his vision, just like Oda did.

It’s Linking Time!!!

Man, I’m disappointed it’s not animated. I dunno, sounds kinda cursed… but I hope not.

i crazy if a imagine a $300/400 million budget for the movie?(problaby is a doubt Nintendo would give such high budget for the Legend of Zelda movie, it will problaby be 50/100 milions for the budget)

@GoshJosh i hope the franchise survive after the movie

@OnlyManWhoCan I completely agree, the Mario Movie alone was a huge miss. It failed to touch on basically everything Mario I feel and went a whole different route. They tried to shove everything Mario into it which is what will happen to the Zelda movie. It will be a fast moving nonexistent storyline along with the way the world is today I can see it being very woke as well. Lord knows we cannot have a princess in distress like in the games. Ohh and they will probably make link talk in it which will completely ruin the movie.
In the end a live action Zelda will be just another Mario movie from the 90’s. An animated movie is the route they should have went.

@Giancarlothomaz the movie will be huge but will be basically no story. The franchise will survive just fine, I mean look at their first attempts of a mini series.

@DiamondCore XD, that made me LOL too hard at my desk. Take your upvote good sir/madam/pronoun of choosing.

@GoshJosh and I will be there crying at how bad it's going to be 😣

I'm sure it will make all the money in the world, but this is going to be a disaster of a film. Dreading it.

@AstroTheGamosian
WOW! You have this really wrong, in every way!

"Yes, I am well aware of how Nintendo stabbed Sony in the back when they partnered with Philips in the early 1990s, announcing the partnership the day after Sony revealed the CD add-on for the SNES. Sony was right to be bitter about it then, but it has been over 30 years since then."

Nintendo didn't betray Sony.
Sony wanted full IP (Intellectual Property) rights for ALL (or most, I can't remember currently) Nintendo IP going forward.
Nintendo said no and rightfully backed out of the partnership.

@-wc- No serious director is going to take direction from a Japanese video game production manager. And they're going to want to put their stamp on the "vision" of the film. You'll end up with a film loosely based on the game.

@Spider-Kev The part of the story about what Sony did to cause that fallout is rarely ever told. So rarely that most will believe you're making it up.

Though, it wasn't quite as extreme as you're making out. What Sony wanted was full control over royalties - so third parties would pay Sony, not Nintendo to publish games. Nintendo themselves would have even had to pay Sony to publish games on their own console. Worse is that this was a line in the contract that didn't exist until late in the negotiations, Sony tried to have it fly under the radar.

Sony is more than just the PS brand and this really isn't that surprising (though personally, I would rather want a CG movie than live-action). This isn't also the first time that Sony has become involved with Nintendo IP, i.e., Sony Music Records is usually involved with Pokémon soundtrack

@Iconoclysm

that is not something i had thought of! good point.

still, surely someone legitimate is already a fan of Nintendo and/or Zelda? or what about Japanese directors?

im sure my expectations are unrealistic, but imo so are those that think this is going to live up to the source material in the slightest or be an objectively "good film" by normal standards. and if that's the case, what is the point?

PS - ftr and imo, i think a good movie loosely based on the franchise beats a mediocre-to-bad movie that prioritizes sticking to the source, every single damn time. 👍

So long as this Sony/Nintendo collab doesn't result in the same disastrous Zelda's as last time, it's all good.

Oke this sounding really interesting already.
They have to be really careful about this one.
Right actor, are staying true to the story/games, like the Mario movie etc. The music, the action, (the look of Ganondorf lol.
Will they go for the children? Adults, all ages etc?

Will they use the "Excuuuuuussssee me princes" 😂

@Iconoclysm
This is the first time I'm hearing about the royalties, I do know that they wanted control/ownership of Nintendo IP

Maybe we'll have a repeat of the SNES CD-Rom add on debacle. Nintendo will announce they're partnering with Sony, then will suddenly pivot to a different company, then Sony will go and make their own movie anyway.

@Serpenterror
Vortex on Pal Regions is published by Sony.
Imo still funny to see that Logo on the Super Nintendo.

But to be an Adult, as others said, Sony Pictures, Entertainment etc. are very separated Companies.

I also can imagine that they want to push japanese Companies more than others.

Sony isn't just playstation and frequently doesn't see Nintendo as direct competition to the playstation vs the direct threat of Xbox.

The whole cd things long in the past and sure they are both japanese companies so it makes sense. Also if there's money to be made for both then they will do it.

Has Sony produced any amazing movies recently? I'm genuinely asking because aside from the obvious Uncharted and Spiderman movies I can't think of any movies that Wowed me recently much less being remembered they were produced by Sony. Actually there was Afterlife. Enjoyable but not to the point I'd expect a Zelda movie to be... man I gotta temper my expectations lol I know I'll probably be severely disappointed with my supremely high expectations atm... I mean I'll ofc go see it but damn right now I'm hoping for The Greatest Movie of the Past Century type deal which I highly doubt it'll be XD

Why can't they just make it an animated movie? I don't see how they can make it a live action.

@Serpenterror actually, the first time was when Sony provided the sound processor for the SNES