Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, who will portray Link in the upcoming live-action The Legend of Zelda movie, did not play Breath of the Wild when it originally arrived. His age and the absence of a Nintendo Switch meant that his first experience with the game came through watching other people play it.
Breath of the Wild launched in 2017 and introduced many new players to Nintendo’s long-running fantasy series. Ainsworth was only eight years old at the time and did not own the console required to play it, so he followed the adventure through online playthroughs instead.
The actor is now 17 and is also appearing as Daeron Targaryen in the third season of House of the Dragon. Although he could not reveal many details about the Zelda production, he indicated that filming the project was an exciting experience.
Preparing for the role appears to have encouraged Ainsworth to explore the franchise beyond its recent releases. He studied the history of The Legend of Zelda, including its changing visual styles, storytelling approaches, character interpretations, and the different ways Link has been presented across four decades.
Few story details about the movie have been revealed so far. The confirmed information includes:
- Benjamin Evan Ainsworth will portray Link;
- the production has taken place primarily in New Zealand;
- Wes Ball is directing the adaptation;
- the planned theatrical release date is April 30, 2027.
Ball previously directed Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and worked on the Maze Runner film series. His involvement suggests that the adaptation may combine large-scale fantasy environments with an adventure-focused story.
The film will not arrive in time for the franchise’s 40th anniversary, but Nintendo has other plans for fans waiting to return to Hyrule. A remake of Ocarina of Time for Nintendo Switch 2 has been announced for 2026.
That release should give players another opportunity to revisit one of the series’ most influential adventures before the live-action movie reaches cinemas the following year.