The Legend of Zelda Movie Director Wants to Reflect Hayao Miyazaki's Style

Wes Ball, the director of Nintendo and Sony's upcoming movie based on The Legend of Zelda, has said that he wants the film to reflect the works of famed animator Hayao Miyazaki. Roughly one month ago, Nintendo confirmed that it was embarking upon creating a Zelda movie in tandem with Ball and producer Avi Arad. Although the project is still in the very early stages of development and won't be released for a long time, Ball himself has now shared more of his own personal vision for the film. 

In a conversation with Entertainment Weekly, Ball talked a bit about what it has been like to be attached to a Legend of Zelda movie with Nintendo. Ball expressed that this movie is essentially a dream come true for himself as he has been a fan of Zelda since he was younger. When it comes to what he wants to do with the property, though, Ball explained that he doesn't want The Legend of Zelda movie to simply look like other fantasy films such as The Lord of the Rings. Instead, he's hoping it is more of a live-action version of a Miyazaki picture, which suggests that it will be quite vibrant and enjoyable for all ages. 

"I've always said, I would love to see a live-action Miyazaki. That wonder and whimsy that he brings to things, I would love to see something like that," Ball said. "It's going to be awesome. My whole life has led up to this moment. I grew up on Zelda and it is the most important property, I think, that's untapped IP, if you will. So we very much are working hard to do something. We're not just trying to do it because we can. We want to make something really special."

Speaking more about the ongoing state of the Zelda movie, Ball said that the script for the film is still in the process of being written. Currently, Ball is working on releasing Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which is set to hit theaters in May 2024. Once his work on that movie has wrapped up, Ball says that he will take a small break before jumping headfirst into developing Zelda further. With this in mind, it seems like we might not have any major news on the movie for quite some time, so don't expect any new information to come about soon. 

Still, what do you think about Ball's broad pitch for his Zelda movie so far? And do you think that a live-action version of a Miyazaki film could prove to be a perfect template for The Legend of Zelda? Let me know either down in the comments or reach out to me on social media at @MooreMan12.