Here’s What We Learned About the Zelda Movie From Director Wes Ball’s Recent AMA

On April 29th, Zelda movie director Wes Ball hosted an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit to promote his new film, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Primates weren’t all that Redditors were talking about though, as Ball’s next project is the Legend of Zelda movie, which was announced in November 2023. While the director was understandably limited in what he would or could say about the Zelda movie, there is some information to be gleaned from his comments.

Here are a few of the things we learned…

 

Link Will Have a Voice

Redditor u/youwillcomedownsoon2 asked Ball, “This series [Planet of the Apes] has made a compelling world in which apes speak, but I can’t personally imagine the same working with Link. I know it’s off-topic, but do you think Link should speak?”

Ball responded, “When I play Zelda as Link I speak with many villagers and creatures throughout the game; asking and answering many questions.”

While the answer is a bit indirect, it seems that Wes Ball has settled on Zelda‘s main protagonist having a significant voice for the first time since the CD-I titles. Of course, as Ball has pointed out, Link has never been a mute; he’s always spoken. His absence of voice is just a product of the mainline games making his speech inaudible outside of shouts, grunts, and occasional exclamations. Regardless, this shouldn’t come as a shock as having a live-action movie with a silent protagonist is a tough act to pull off.

What will his voice sound like? Will a voice detract from what fans expect of the character? That remains to be seen.

 

Non-Human Characters Will Likely Be CGI

Multiple users asked Wes Ball about his experience in making CGI primates for Planet of the Apes. Though these questions weren’t directed towards Zelda, his responses reflect his attitude towards CGI and the use of practical effects.

Redditor u/PuddinMyPuddin asked, “How do you decide on CGI versus practical effects? . . . What were some of your considerations when deciding on CGI versus practical effects for this film?”

Ball replied, “I just don’t think modern audiences would except [sic] puppets or a man-in-monkey-suit today.”

He reiterated this sentiment again in another response, saying, “Anything is possible but I find it hard to believe general audiences would accept man-in-suit make up today. But hey I could be wrong.”

In a separate reply, Ball elaborated, “We just could not do most of this stuff practically.”

So, at least when it comes to the monkeys of Planet of the Apes, Ball gave preference to CGI out of necessity. Given the many creatures and non-human races that inhabit Hyrule, I wouldn’t expect Ball’s attitudes to change between Planet of the Apes and Zelda, especially when the movie that primarily inspired him to become a director was the CGI-heavy Avatar. As such, if Gorons, Zoras, and the like make an appearance in the Zelda movie, they will likely be CGI.

In today’s climate of CGI-filled blockbusters, CGI can be a bit of an icky word, but if Ball’s work on Planet of the Apes is any indicator, fans should be pleased with the results. If it’s any reassurance, Ball summed up his approach to visual effects by saying, “Love practical, love CG. Just try to make it great.”

 

His “Live-Action” Miyazaki Comments Were Genuine

It was previously reported that Wes Ball envisioned his Zelda movie as a “live-action Miyazaki”, referring to Hayao Miyazaki, founder of Studio Ghibli. Known for having a distinct animation style and stories that are true to the heart, Studio Ghibli has a tone that many fans wanted to see a Zelda movie emulate. So, despite the Zelda movie being live-action, the news of Ball’s Miyazaki inspirations was encouraging.

Thankfully, his comments in this AMA suggest that this was more than just lip service. He is a genuine fan of Studio Ghibli. When u/Fine_Land_1974 asked him about his favorite fantasy and science fiction movies, Ball replied, “I grew up watching Willow, Neverending Story, Terminator, Alien. Lord of the Rings were a big deal for me in high school . . . Anything by Miyazaki. Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke and Castle in the Sky especially.” He added in another comment, “I watch these [Miyazaki films] regularly.”

Since, Ball listed some Studio Ghibli movies among his favorite fantasies ever, it seems that if he really is trying to pull off the “live-action Miyazaki” vibes, it is coming from a place of sincerity, and he should have the knowledge to do it. Given the other fantasies he listed — like Willow, Neverending Story, and The Lord of the Rings — we shouldn’t be surprised to see some inspiration from those films in the Zelda movie as well.

 

There are Plans in Place to Extend the Movie Into a Series

While this should surprise no one, Ball confirmed in this AMA that multiple Zelda movies are being considered. In another comment from u/Fine_Land_1974, they asked, “If the film does well, are there plans in place to extend the series?”

Ball simply replied, “Yes”, explaining, “We’d love to continue with the story and characters.”

While this comment comes with the caveat, “If the film does well,” this at least means that Zelda is not being considered as a one-off movie. As such, fans can probably expect a few cliffhangers, as well as possibly even the introduction of more characters and villains from across the series than can be contained in just one film.

 

John Cena?

John Cena recently posted a no-context image of Link to his Instagram, causing fans to speculate on what this might mean. When u/OnePassenger4597 asked if John Cena will “play Navi in the Zelda movie,” Wes Ball casually replied, “You never know.”

Though Ball neither confirmed nor denied the rumors, wrestling fans shouldn’t get their hopes up yet, as Cena had previously posted a screenshot from Punch-Out!!. So, the professional wrestler is probably just taking a trip down memory lane with some Nintendo classics and Ball is playing along — or more likely is prohibited by a non-disclosure agreement from making any comments about potential casting.

 

The Zelda Movie is Being Directed by a Lifelong Fan

One thing that became abundantly clear through all of Wes Ball’s comments is his love and respect for the Zelda series. He told Redditors that he “grew up playing every Zelda game since the 80s” and that his favorite Zelda game is Ocarina of Time. He has even been enjoying Tears of the Kingdom as of late. His appreciation for Zelda is so deep that his inspiration for the movie is, as he puts it, “at a DNA level.” Ball told one user, “I love Zelda and I’ll work my a** off to make something great for us.”

Even as far back as 2010, Ball tweeted, “the next big mo-cap Avatar-like movie should be… THE LEGEND OF ZELDA.”

One of the biggest concerns fans have any time a video game is adapted for film or television is that the writers won’t respect the source material, as we’ve seen with television adaptations like Resident Evil and Halo. It should be encouraging then to see the Zelda movie in the hands of someone who is not only familiar with the source material but who is also a genuine fan.

Ball is more than just a Zelda fan; he’s a fan of video games in general. When Redditor u/TheNightstroke asked him which horror franchise he’d like to direct, his immediate response was Bioshock, claiming it is the “game [that] got me back into gaming.” Likewise, when u/akamu24 asked him about “the last great movie or TV show” he was able to watch, Ball commented that he has been enjoying Fallout. He even knew enough about Fallout‘s source material to recognize that it has “a hard tone to land” but that they’ve managed to pull it off.

If Ball’s familiar with video games and knows what makes a game fun, then hopefully that will translate into his adaptation of The Legend of Zelda.

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All of this isn’t to say that Wes Ball will be the savior of the Zelda movie. It’s still in pre-production, and we don’t know what’s coming. However, from his comments in this AMA, it seems like Sony and Nintendo may have picked the right guy for the job. He has the inspirations and the experience to make this thing great.

So, if you have your doubts about his ability to direct the Zelda movie, try checking out Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (due out May 8th) because it may be the best indicator we have yet of the Zelda movie’s quality. Ball has said that he “learned a TON on [Planet of the Apes]” and that that experience will carry over into the Zelda movie. More specifically, Ball mentioned that the lessons learned that will influence Zelda are to: “Keep the money on the screen. Be ambitious. Be confident in the talent around you. Try to do something great.”

Wes Ball said that he is humbled and honored that “Miyamoto trusts [him] to be his guy”. If Miyamoto trusts him with one of Nintendo’s biggest franchises, then maybe we should at least give him a fair shot.

Now tell us what you think. Do these comments bode well for the Zelda movie? What do you think a “live-action Miyazaki” will look like? How do you feel about Link speaking? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: Reddit