In a surprise announcement this morning, Nintendo has confirmed the stars of its live-action Legend of Zelda movie.
In a statement first revealed through its Nintendo Today app (which previously gave us the film’s original release date), the publisher confirmed that relative newcomers Bo Bragason and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth will play Princess Zelda and Link, respectively.
This is Miyamoto. 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. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/KA5XW3lwul
— 任天堂株式会社 (@Nintendo) July 16, 2025
“This is Miyamoto. 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,” Nintendo executive Shigeru Miyamoto said in a statement accompanying the news. “I am very much looking forward to seeing both of them on the big screen.”
“The film is scheduled to be released in theaters on May 7, 2027,” the statement concluded. “Thank you for your patience.”
Both stars are relatively young (Bragason is 21 at the time of casting, Ainsworth just 17), with few credits to their names—a stark contrast to the glitzy, star-studded casting of Nintendo and Illumination’s Mario movie a few years ago. Bragason is best known for her appearance in the Disney+ series Renegade Nell last year, while Ainsworth appeared in a supporting role in Netflix’s The Haunting of Bly Manor, but is perhaps best known as the voice of the live-action Pinocchio in Disney’s 2022 remake.
The Legend of Zelda will hit theaters May 7, 2027.
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