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Discussion Which Zelda Game Should The Movie Adapt/Take Inspiration From

which game should the movie take from?

  • Total voters
    89
Why are BOTW and TOTK together...

I'd love to say BOTW, but if it takes so much as a whisper from TOTK's story and writing, I'd rather the movie not exist at all.

Of these options, TP is the obvious choice. Plain good vs. evil is not only boring but pretty socially irresponsible nowadays, and while I give OoT credit for trying and innovating in that field, I think the Twili provide a far more interesting concept. Not deeply evil, merely perhaps conceited, for it it generations were cursed to suffer. Only for one of their kind to prove Hyrule right, and have the princess, still not yet coronated, fight to save another kingdom, a kingdom that she feels hates her and her people.

But given what we know about the Zelda film, even "plain good Vs evil" is hoping for too much nuance. "Green beats up red." is maybe as far as it'll try to go.

I also don't think it's fair to exclude the toon games or ALPW, given they each had good stories, each easily better than TOTK's... "Worse than nothing" babble.
 
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It should be its own story. Possibly non-fanservice references. Maybe just Zelda wistfully explaining the many timelines out there, and Link being like "What in the Land of Hyrule...?"
 
I don't expect it to be an adaptation of any single game in the series but rather a new story with an amalgamation of ideas from throughout the series. I would say I expect the most influence from Ocarina of Time though, with that kind of Hyrule, Ganondorf, the Triforce mythology, plus the species it introduced (that version of Zoras, Gorons, etc.)

Edit: And now I realize that this wasn't asking what I expected, but what I wanted. I think I'll stick to my answer for that though, as I think Ocarina of Time represents the fundamentals of the series about as well as any game. I wouldn't want them to adapt its plot though, since the time travel thing is unnecessary and having two different actors each for Link and Zelda wouldn't be great.
 
Prophet64 said:
It should be its own story. Possibly non-fanservice references. Maybe just Zelda wistfully explaining the many timelines out there, and Link being like "What in the Land of Hyrule...?"
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Why not "what in the name of Hylia" or "in the name of Nayru"?

Zelda has a PANTHEON, by jove, let them not cower away from Zelda's own religion if they try to tell a story...
 
Most of the Hyrule games have broad-strokes near identical plot structure, lore structure, character and stories. And the movie will be a standard Arthurian style Hyrule Zelda I'd wager.

So Zelda 1/AlttP/OoT/TP/BOTW, are all pretty similar. The biggest difference would be whether the big bad has already taken over, or if that is a mid-story or end-story event.

I'd much prefer LA or Majora but it's not going to be like that.
 
Honestly, the only one that'd work is probably Zelda 1 or Zelda 2 with a few changes, like the addition of a village or something. Fully adapting the plot of any other game is a very tough task, even if you ran through the plot. The only other game that could work is Majora's Mask, but (ignoring that it's a sequel) you'd have to speed through so much of the plot and it'd lose a lot of the impact of the game.

A simple story would work best. It wouldn't be all too meaty compared to other adventure films that have or will be made, but it's at least something that it'd have over the Mario Movie.
 
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Concernt said:
Why not "what in the name of Hylia" or "in the name of Nayru"?

Zelda has a PANTHEON, by jove, let them not cower away from Zelda's own religion if they try to tell a story...
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I don't take Link as much of a pious being, that would be more reserved for Zelda to make such references if we're going to be workshopping dialogue. Not bad suggestion though, just sounds more like Zelda's voice. Link is more of the land, so he would default to such I'd imagine.
 
It will probably take elements from all the major games and leave some stuff for a sequel like Majora's Mask.
 
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Prophet64 said:
I don't take Link as much of a pious being, that would be more reserved for Zelda to make such references if we're going to be workshopping dialogue. Not bad suggestion though, just sounds more like Zelda's voice. Link is more of the land, so he would default to such I'd imagine.
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I feel like the bumpinest bumpkin says "by god", rather than "by the land and the wheat". I think maybe Zelda being specific would make sense- "by Nayru!" when she realises something "by Din" when terrifying, while Link defaults to "By the Goddess" or "By Hylia!"

Though "by Hylia" has slightly awkward implications for Zelda- "by grandma!"
 
Concernt said:
I feel like the bumpinest bumpkin says "by god", rather than "by the land and the wheat". I think maybe Zelda being specific would make sense- "by Nayru!" when she realises something "by Din" when terrifying, while Link defaults to "By the Goddess" or "By Hylia!"

Though "by Hylia" has slightly awkward implications for Zelda- "by grandma!"
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It's supposed to be analogous to "what in the world," but with a twist so you know it's Zelda, and just feels charming to me as it informs Link's character as not knowing much outside of where he begins his journey. Zelda can absolutely say that because that informs her character as at least having such religious academic knowledge. If Link comes from a churchly village then sure.

But I'd want to contrast the characters quite a bit since I'd want them together for most of the movie unlike any of the games (except Spirit Tracks I guess). Their dynamic would be so crucial to this movie being good.

Also the scene I said was just a joke and play on the scene in the Mario movie when Peach wistfully says there are so many galaxies out there. I'd actually groan if references to timelines was so hamfisted into the movie.
 
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I can't see it being anything but Breath Of The Wild 100 years in the past, Link becoming the appointed knight to Zelda, finding the champions from the different people of Hyrule to stop the looming threat of Ganon's return as Zelda tries to awaken the magic within her to seal him away (though I suspect they may bring in elements of a more classic Ganon plot into the BOTW world like Ocarina or perhaps bits of Ganon from Tears etc... rather than pig smoke monster) - it gives you an ensemble cast, an adventure to go on etc...
 
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Just like most of the games are their own standalone story with shared elements that are loosely retrofitted in the timeline, the movie should be too.

That said, given the production team involved, it's going to suck either way, so honestly, I don't really care what they do.
 
I went all of the above, since I'd like them to attempt an original story that plays with the mythos as a whole. And I fully expect that to be the route they take, since we already have a ton of manga if a fan is looking for an adaptation of any of the bigger installments.

But if it has to be an adaptation of a particular installment... Ocarina of Time? ALTTP would arguably be the better starting point if you want to do a really basic Zelda story, but if you want the titular character to actually do anything of note, the next best choice in that regard is OOT. It's also the only other one that I'd be down seeing as just a standalone movie instead of a longer mini-series.
 
SpaceGodzilla said:
didn't include wind waker and the handheld games for obvious reasons (too nich or small scaled/ won't work in live-action)
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Get out. Wind waker would be the best adaptation because it can be oriented as a family film. Brother saves sister and meets legendary princess who didnt know she was a princess. Its perfect for cinema. The cell shading is whatever and has no bearing on transition to film.

Wind Waker -> See above
OOT - Too convoluted and tons of story would have to be butchered to make a 2 hour film.
Twilight princess -> Too dark and edgy. Story would suck for cinema
BOTW/TOTK -> Lack of story in both games but using the framework bulletpoints could work
Skyward sword -> Dark horse pick for me. The romance aspect would be a great spice as you show how the important pieces of the zelda universe are created. Great starting point for cinema.
LOZ/AOL - Doesn't count, its just the basics of link saving zelda/hyrule.
LTTP -> Too much of a game. Very little could translate to cinema.

Keep in mind, Strong characters and dialogue is what makes a great movie. This is where Wind Waker and Skyward Sword separate themselves in my opinion.
 
I would like to see a combination of ALttP and OoT.
 
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I think shooting something with Wind Waker as a template on a tropical island setting would be so cool.
 
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I really wonder how they will approach the design of Zoras and Gorons in a live action movie. Seems like strong potential for something really cursed.
 
SpaceGodzilla said:
didn't include wind waker and the handheld games for obvious reasons (too nich or small scaled/ won't work in live-action)
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That just seems like a terrible pigeonholing decision on both fronts. They should be able to take from all facets of their property to make a movie that is distinct from their games.
 
An adaptation of Zelda Barcode Battler would be cheff kiss. But given the world is full of cowards and that'd never happen, what I'd prefer then is to, loosely based on Skyward Sword, to really go with the story of the first hero, the one talked about in the SS intro. Not because it is a story I'm dying to know (I know there's a manga out there) but because (1) I really do not want I move whose full plot I basically know from the very first scene, (2) I love this games, I don't want any move adaptation to ruin my memories, (3) going with something not explored in games allows them to push some creativity into the script, which can potentially be a bad movement but I think it's also the strategy with the more potential rewards.
 
Wind Waker fits the template of a modern Hollywood movie of having a somewhat interesting premise and villain that completely falls apart in the last act but shooting on water is too expensive so they're not gonna do that.

It's probably going to be its own thing that mainly draws from Ocarina of Time.
 
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For me, Link to the Past works best even though it's neither my favourite story nor game because it has front-loaded drama with Link's uncle dying and Link rescuing Zelda from the castle.

That then frees Zelda up to go adventuring with Link, visiting towns and temples and learning that Ganon is behind the already-defeated Aganhim (or whatever). Then maybe separating for a while as he searches for the master sword and she looks for a way into the sacred realm. Then the climax is the sacred realm turning into the dark world, evil seeping into Hyrule, yadda yadda, Link and Zelda defeat Ganondorft and use the Triforce to undo the damage.

It doesn't get more "standard Zelda story" than that.

With OoT you're introducing time travel and child / adult casting, which is tough, and Zelda spends most of the story as Sheik, which is far easier to make work in a low-polry game than in a movie played by an actual actress.

I just hope they retain the whimsical nature of much of the games. The slightly wacky characters and situations.
 
Honestly a Link to the Past would be ideal. It’s more or less the foundation Zelda is built on, it has a simple but reasonably compelling story that touches on all the Zelda tropes, it wouldn’t require separate casts of different ages like Ocarina, and would divide pretty cleanly into a two part story with pre and post Dark World segments. Then you have the built in sequel with Link’s Awakening.
 
It would be great if this movie was a commercial and critical success, with everyone then expecting a sequel. Only for them to announce the sequel is a chibi-style anime movie, and have all the fans melt down. I really want to experience that whole cycle again. That would be true Zelda.
 
Heron said:
For me, Link to the Past works best even though it's neither my favourite story nor game because it has front-loaded drama with Link's uncle dying and Link rescuing Zelda from the castle.

That then frees Zelda up to go adventuring with Link, visiting towns and temples and learning that Ganon is behind the already-defeated Aganhim (or whatever). Then maybe separating for a while as he searches for the master sword and she looks for a way into the sacred realm. Then the climax is the sacred realm turning into the dark world, evil seeping into Hyrule, yadda yadda, Link and Zelda defeat Ganondorft and use the Triforce to undo the damage.

It doesn't get more "standard Zelda story" than that.

With OoT you're introducing time travel and child / adult casting, which is tough, and Zelda spends most of the story as Sheik, which is far easier to make work in a low-polry game than in a movie played by an actual actress.

I just hope they retain the whimsical nature of much of the games. The slightly wacky characters and situations.
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OoT is just LttP in slightly different. i would say neither works as the definitive zelda movie story, but a mix (mythology/races/characters from OoT, and mechanical structure (3 -> sword -> dark world) would probably be the way to go. its not as if there is a definitive interpretation of the zelda world....
 
Heron said:
It would be great if this movie was a commercial and critical success, with everyone then expecting a sequel. Only for them to announce the sequel is a chibi-style anime movie, and have all the fans melt down. I really want to experience that whole cycle again. That would be true Zelda.
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I genuinely believe that a successful Zelda film series would result in them changing the style and tone every couple of entries, just like the games do.
 
I think it will take a bit of inspiration from most of them, but the main story I would guess botw/ totk with a bit of ocarina of time.
 
Despite Zelda lore enthusiasts claims to the contrary, the stories in these games aren't deep. If you make a Zelda movie inspired by a game, you can pretty much take you pick from any game except for Wind Waker and Majora's Mask and make them feel the same.

If Gannon is the main enemy, then the strongest parallels will probably be Zelda 1. If Gannondorf is the main villain, then OoT will probably be the best comparison. OoT will probably be it bc then the antagonist can be fleshed out character instead of just a CGI monster.
 
I'm predicting that Nintendo is going to go for broad strokes here and focus on adapting the various key characteristics of the franchise instead of being based on any specific game. The most direct analogues that I would expect for this movie would be the dungeons and other notable Zelda locations and not the characters, since the core underlying appeal for the franchise is "adventure". As such, I'm thinking we're going to see some of these recurring locations:
  • Lost Woods
  • Death Mountain
  • Lake Hylia
  • Gerudo Desert
  • Ice Cavern
  • Ganon's Castle
The movie would probably transplant characteristics of other notable Zelda places onto these environments as well.
 
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It should be its own standalone story. Makes sense in the Zelda universe, frees them from sticking to canon beyond "link, zelda, ganon".
 
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Concernt said:
I feel like the bumpinest bumpkin says "by god", rather than "by the land and the wheat". I think maybe Zelda being specific would make sense- "by Nayru!" when she realises something "by Din" when terrifying, while Link defaults to "By the Goddess" or "By Hylia!"

Though "by Hylia" has slightly awkward implications for Zelda- "by grandma!"
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ancestors worshiping is a big thing in east Asia and about din i always thought that hylians should be awkward about her especially with the whole thing with ganondorf and the divine prank thing in twilight princess
 
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As far as adaptations go Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, and BotW would be bad starting points because in terms of plot they're all subversions of what came before and that base should be established first. Twilight Princess depends too much on being a sequel to OoT, so if you want to go that route you have to do OoT first. Skyward Sword, on the other hand, depends heavily on being a prequel to OoT but takes place in the distant past and doesn't concern itself with setting up a lot of series staples as a result. And BotW is just a mess in terms of storytelling and series lore/identity. A first Zelda movie should establish the basics of the series and they can build from there if there are sequels. Link and Zelda vs Ganon. Triforce lore and all that.
Concernt said:
I feel like the bumpinest bumpkin says "by god", rather than "by the land and the wheat". I think maybe Zelda being specific would make sense- "by Nayru!" when she realises something "by Din" when terrifying, while Link defaults to "By the Goddess" or "By Hylia!"

Though "by Hylia" has slightly awkward implications for Zelda- "by grandma!"
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Screenshot_2023-11-08_at_10-59-15_The_Legend_of_Zelda_Spirit_Tracks_-_Malladus_-_Ending_HD_4X_High-Res_-_YouTube.png
 
I could almost see a scenario where it's an entirely original storyline that falls somewhere in the "official" Zelda timeline.
 
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The most straightforward, in my opinion, would be basically a "remix" of Zelda 1's story, with shades of Zelda 2/OoT-TP/BOTW.

Take the basics of Zelda 2's backdrop as the intro of the film to set the tone. A Golden Age, ruled by a just king, undone thanks to the actions of his foolish son that had the agents of darkness whispering in ear as counsel. Ganon is revived, and utilizing the Triforce of Power, is able to take over all of Hyrule. But Wisdom and Courage elude his grasp. Knowing that those Triforce segments would eventually be inherited by those chosen by the Goddesses themselves, he has his minions go out to roam the countryside and beyond, to seek them out.

Centuries later, an 18-21 year old, very skilled farm hand named Link meets a mysterious woman named Zelda, who knows about what's stake and implores Link to help her take back Hyrule from Ganon. Along with a ragtag group consisting of Link's childhood friends (a boisterous Goron, girl boss Zora, lovable asshole rival Rito), and Zelda's own entourage (cool ninja Impa and team mom Gerudo), they band together, and realize their roles as the Hero, Hylia's incarnation and the Sages.
 
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I forgot to answer the thread question:
  • If the Zelda movie were to base its plot on a source material from a video game, I think the best bets would be Zelda 1, 2, ALTTP, TP, SS, BOTW and TOTK
  • If the movie goes in a direction with a hatless Link, I think BOTW and TOTK would be a better bet
Also, I'm betting on an original story based on everything that identifies Zelda (like the Mario movie, but this time, it's live action)
 
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LuigiV said:
Just like most of the games are their own standalone story with shared elements that are loosely retrofitted in the timeline, the movie should be too.

That said, given the production team involved, it's going to suck either way, so honestly, I don't really care what they do.
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I remember people saying the exact Same thing about the Mario movie and the Cast. I remember arlos Videos, dunkeys Videos. Videos from everyone. Here in the Forum and Other Forums. Just everywhere. Guess what, you were all wrong. Same will happen here. As long as Nintendo is heavily involved, Not alot will Go wrong. It will either be a good movie or a great movie but nothing lower than that.
 
Buttons said:
I remember people saying the exact Same thing about the Mario movie and the Cast. I remember arlos Videos, dunkeys Videos. Videos from everyone. Here in the Forum and Other Forums. Just everywhere. Guess what, you were all wrong. Same will happen here. As long as Nintendo is heavily involved, Not alot will Go wrong. It will either be a good movie or a great movie but nothing lower than that.
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Funny you should say that. The Mario Movie finally dropped on Netflix this week (at least it did here in Aus, ymmv in other countries) and I decided to try watch it last night. Couldn't make it more than 30 minutes in before I had to stop. I'm happy it was a commercial success but I don't think the haters were wrong in terms of Illumination's ability to deliver quality.
 
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