The hero of time is here, and he’s quite young. The first casting announcement for the live-action Legend of Zelda movie came this morning via Nintendo’s social media presence, where game creator Shigeru Miyamoto wrote, “I am pleased to announce that for the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda, Zelda will be played by Bo Bragason-san, and Link by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth-san. I am very much looking forward to seeing both of them on the big screen.”
The post included the photos above, which Variety noted appear to show the actors in costume—or at least clothing meant to evoke their characters’ costumes. Bragason is at wearing the color Zelda often wears, and Ainsworth’s outfit involves something faintly cape-like tied over a henley.
Both actors are English, and both have impressive resumes already: Bragason has been in quite a few TV series, including Renegade Nell and The Radleys. Ainsworth was in The Haunting of Bly Manor, provided the voice of Pinocchio in Disney’s recent film, and starred in 52 episodes of the Canadian series Son of a Critch.
Ainsworth is about 16, which may send into a mild tizzy those fans who have been trying to figure out which Zelda story this movie will tell, and which fantastical setting and era we’ll see on screen. Sometimes Link is quite young in the stories (as in The Wind Waker or the beginning of Ocarina of Time); sometimes he’s a teen; sometimes he sure seems older than that, but his age—as Polygon explains—is complicated.
The Legend of Zelda is directed by Wes Ball (The Maze Runner). It’s due in theaters on May 7, 2027.
