Daily Debate: Would an Animated or Live Action Zelda Movie be Better?

With The Super Mario Bros. Movie set for release next year, it makes me wonder what doors and possibilities this new feat from Nintendo could open! I, for one, plan to be one of the first people in line as a long-time fan of the Italian plumber. However, all the hype surrounding this movie has me thinking–if Nintendo continues making movies from multiple franchises (which, who knows if this will be a possibility) would a Legend of Zelda movie work better as an animated film or live action?

The Mario movie will definitely be much more successful and enjoyable as an animated film (as we already have the live action monstrosity from the 90s as proof). But as for Zelda? Who knows! With the variety of art styles ranging from cell-shaded in Breath of the Wild, to gritty and more realistic like in Twilight Princess, it seems Nintendo could go either way if they ever wanted to create a film version of our favorite green-clad hero. Regardless of what a film would look like, I would be all for seeing my favorite video game series come to life (only if done right, of course).

What do you think? Would Zelda work better animated or live action, and why? Let me know in the comments!

Chakell Herbert

Chakell (pronounced shuh-kell) is an associate editor for Zelda Dungeon! She has loved The Legend of Zelda series since she was a little girl because of its equal mix of princesses, besting bad guys, and heartfelt stories. Chakell lives in the overall tame state of Utah, but holds onto her childhood hopes to find an adventure in her backyard one day. She has a degree in English and is a full-time editor for a magazine. You can usually find her gaming (obviously), laughing with her husband, taking a long time to tell stories because she keeps getting distracted; getting sucked into books and podcasts; or snuggling her cute Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.