Hero Mode Discussions: Zelda Movie? Part 1

Keep in mind this is opinionated and shows my personal views of what I believe would make this specific Zelda topic the best it can be. All that I request of you, people of the Internet, is to keep an open mind. I welcome criticism and angry comments with open arms; they are quite helpful and ever so entertaining.

Foreword: “Hero Mode Discussions” refers not to talking about Hero Mode from the games, though it uses the idea of being “hardcore.” So in the terms of discussion, this essentially means that what we are going to be talking about is more on the verge of “hardcore” than what we’re normally used to in discussion. Second, this is the first installment of many, because due to the length of the full article being some 6000 words and still in-progress, I have made the choice to separate the full article into roughly 2000 word entries that will be posted each week. Every segment will contain different aspects that apply to the topic we are going to be discussing today, so I implore of you to not get too upset when something you are passionate about doesn’t show up, because most likely, I will get to it. Eventually.

Literally everything in The Legend of Zelda has the potential to become controversial. Fans fight over minor details, like the placement of skulls to support Tingle being a murderer, all the way to more serious topics, such as if future games should have full voiceovers or not. The franchise is known for its complexity and twisting story lines with multitudes of lore that could take a lifetime to learn fully, and those who are familiar with the series are no strangers to what exactly all of this can lead to.

So where exactly are we going today? From what is suggested, we are going to see something almost otherworldly controversial and unfathomably complex. Even though there is a lot in The Legend of Zelda that is “unfathomably complex and otherworldly controversial,” there happens to be one subject that takes the cake. It is literally the religion and politics of the Zelda world. Still guessing? Let’s see…a few weeks back, there was a picture reminiscing about a wonderfully painful joke from a couple years back, (if that doesn’t give it away I don’t know what will besides just saying it. The hoax I was referring to was the IGN April Fools’ Zelda trailer).

Yes, our topic for today is two words: Zelda Movie. (Now you get why the full article is up to 6000 words and counting).

Whenever this topic comes up, there’s that gut wrenching feeling almost like falling down a bottomless pit. This is one of the few topics that receives remarks from the most fanatic to the quietest Zelda fans alike. The subject is mentioned and all of hell breaks loose! So why bring up this touchy subject? Well, for starters, it’s more fun than throwing boiling water out into sub-zero degree weather and getting burned in the process!

So why bring it up? Well, there is something else to it. Underneath that foreboding feeling you get when you hear “Zelda Movie”, there is a glimmer of hope and fascination. Deep in our hearts, no matter how we wish to deny it, it really is inevitable for a Zelda movie to come along at some point. Though some of us may be long gone when that time comes, there’s a strong push for one — heavily controversial though it is. Of course there are the reasons to not produce a Zelda film, especially with Hollywood’s little “experiments” with previous videogames-gone-big-screen. First, however, there is something major that needs to be cleared up:

If you typed into Google “Zelda Movie 2014”, one of the first websites to come up would be the Fantendo.wikia.com page where it says Miley Cyrus is Princess Zelda is a fake. It isn’t a very well known fan site, but it is a WIKIA PAGE. I saw it a few months ago without looking at the URL and got so upset I was crying and I threw a fit out in my yard. I was devastated. However, after some research on www.imdb.com, nothing was found on the 2014 film, further confirming that this is just a hoax to rile people up and actually make their hearts hurt and crush their dreams (the films that do come up are fan films). Also, if it were legitimate, wouldn’t the whole fan base be going berserk? “Dwayne Johnson turned down the role for Ganondorf” also helps give away that it is fake. Dwayne Johnson, really? Moving on. If you still do not believe me, Miley Cyrus herself said she was quitting acting to focus on her music career, so why would she stop to do a Zelda film of all things? I’m not slandering the game and I’m not saying Miley isn’t familiar with videogames either – I don’t know if she is or not – but if she isn’t, why? So despite the relatively official appearance and use of big Hollywood names with even all the little trademark stamps, IT IS FAKE. I hope this eased some souls to know this, because it did to mine. (Also, if you are to look at the link today, some changes have been made since its original post in 2013).

So why is a Zelda movie so controversial and complex? Take into consideration just how much there is to talk about. There is the choice of actors, the director, make-up, props, content of the film, and a myriad more of things. That is why it ranks as so complex and controversial. For each topic, multiple opinions come clashing together, and let’s face it, no one is really afraid to say what they think (especially on the Internet). So, to start boiling this dangerously filled-to-the-brim pot of water, let’s take a look in-depth at the each one of the topics of discussion.

Let’s start with the simplest: Would Nintendo give the rights for a Zelda film? Yes and no. Currently, the answer is a no, but there is a possibility for a yes in the future. Eiji Aonuma recently revealed to us that he “always thought it would be really cool to have a real Zelda movie, something really grand and sweeping.” So the Zelda designer wants a Zelda film (may the odds be in our favor, or what)? In addition to this, he also told us “this is something that me and Mr. Miyamoto talked about.” So both of the creators are on board? This is getting better and better.

Except…even though there seems to be positive support, Mr. Aonuma followed up with “If we were to make a Zelda title, if we had interest in doing that, I think really what would be most important to us is to be able to play with the format of a movie, make it more interactive, like you’re able to take your 3DS into the theater and that leads you into participating in it somehow. We wouldn’t want to make it the same as any other movie. We want to somehow change what a movie is,” in addition to, “of course, I have neither the time nor the wherewithal for all that, and even if I did have the money to make a movie, I don’t know if it would turn out well.” So, the odds aren’t really in our favor. Well, keep in mind that this is only pertaining to the present: “But there are days when I fantasize about how cool it would be if something like that would happen in the future.” So really, we CAN deduce that a Zelda film will happen in the future, near or far. For now, we must simply fantasize along with Mr. Aonuma and Mr. Miyamoto, hoping that one day we will see something completely grand and sweeping-correction, epic and groundbreaking. (Link to the interview: Kotaku)

Since there is a possibility for a film, should it be in animation or live-action? Considering that there are some beautifully animated films out now and some in the first stages of production, animation wouldn’t actually be a bad choice. However, as animation has come a long way, so has live-action. A few years ago we saw some absolutely stunning special effects in Avatar (not Avatar: The Last Airbender; my dreams were crushed when I saw that movie). If you think about it now, the special effect techniques they used when this movie was made — the last decade — are way outdated, meaning the special effects of 2014 will be so much more “kick-butt” than the effects of 2013. Even next year we will see the differences between 2014 and 2015 in the theaters and on Netflix and so on.

As popular vote stands, live-action films with good special effects tend to be more viewed, more hyped, and more in demand than animation. Another valid point for live-action is that Zelda is an animated game, and to those who have played the game it could be too repetitive. It also could easily be subjected to negative criticism if the animation style does not meet fan expectations.

Well, now that we have two of the most important and most major factors to the whole possibility of a Zelda movie, the next question deals with production companies (we will use U.S.-based companies). Since there are hundreds of companies based in Los Angeles alone, I will narrow it down to the top five I wish to address:

1. We all have come to love those timeless classics, Mr. Miyamoto included, created in the all-too-famous studios of Disney. They have created their share of live-action films with sword fighting, like Pirates of the Caribbean, which were enjoyable. However, considering how hard they tried to reduce the gore by swinging the cameras around constantly, I’m pretty sure that multiple people did not feel so well after watching the films. Though their fight choreography was relatively well done and their special effects were decent as well, Disney producing a Zelda title would not be a good idea. I really don’t have any penchant to see Ross Lynch from Austin and Ally play Link – no offense. Additionally, I don’t want to feel as if I’m spinning in circles constantly just to avoid the sight of blood.
2. Harry Potter fans? Raise your hand! This brings us to Warner Brothers! Most of you, I am guessing, have seen or at least have heard of the Harry Potter films. With a relatively large amount of special effects, action, and darker visuals, Warner Brothers would actually be well-polished enough to take on a high scale project of such as a Zelda movie. Another important aspect of the company is that it owns New Line Cinema.
3. If you aren’t terribly familiar with what company does what, New Line Cinema has an impressive list that includes The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit Trilogy. Of course, even though New Line Cinema does its own scouting for scripts, Warner Brothers does have to give the “okay” for a project to go through. A plus to being owned by Warner Brothers is the fact that they can intertwine and help support a project New Line Cinema may need help with; so all the better if you have two experienced companies helping out with a single project, right?
4. Lionsgate is another good choice, considering the fact they have The Hunger Games in their queue. Though they have decent special effects, you can tell it is CGI, which takes away from an organic experience. Second, they had decently choreographed fight scenes, though some similar camera issues as Disney had made some people nauseous. The handheld camera technique has a really cool effect, just not when it becomes so shaky to the point where you have no idea what is going on. However, they have proven that they have the ability to make well-done movies, dark or light, but not quite up to par with what would have to be done for a Zelda film.
5. Paramount is the last runner up out of the top five I wished to discuss, though I could probably have ranted about fifteen more. The main reason Paramount would be a good choice is because of what I believe to be well done special effects. Be there any Trekkies? Paramount is great at building whole worlds with special effects, as well as whole characters such as in Transformers. With the ability to create good fight scenes as well, Paramount would probably come in as my third choice to produce a Zelda film. Too much of the world (Hyrule in this case) would be artificial, and the problem with that is it wouldn’t look organic and real – meaning it wouldn’t be as convincing, making it harder to get submerged in the experience that should be present when you go to see a movie.

Really, the best choice as of current times would probably be New Line Cinema, since it is owned by Warner Brothers and could receive backing from them. Warner Brothers itself would come in second. Both sport promising qualities, but New Line Cinema has just a bit more grab than for something as taxing as a Zelda movie, due to their first-hand experience with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Third, as said before, would be Paramount due to their ability with special effects. Fourth from this list would be Lionsgate; while they have decent special effects, they can be seen easily and create a less realistic scene and setting. Additionally, their fight scenes are well done; they’re just confusing and erratic at times.

After these four, we present our last option. Out of a list of a hundred, would be Disney. Though we love those classics, they have good animations but lack live-action abilities with fighting and special effects. Also, considering the original Brother’s Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen fairytales are dark and tragic, completely different from all Disney films you see, I wouldn’t want to see a Zelda movie spin into directions it shouldn’t venture.

With respect to what the gathered information suggests, a live-action Zelda film made with the experienced hands of New Line Cinema and Warner Brothers could be something spectacular to behold indeed…that is, if Nintendo would be willing to give them the rights for the film. With this in mind, I will sadly have to end our discussion on that note for this week. However, before you go to rant in the comments section, answer these questions for yourself and for the other avid fans of the Zelda world:

What would it take for a Zelda movie to be successful? Could this even be done, considering pre-existing failed attempts at a video game movie? Would Nintendo really consider giving the rights to make our dreams come true? What company would best produce a Zelda film and meet the standards that have been set for it, however high? Also, should it be live-action or animation? Lastly, feel free to address anything else you wish pertaining to the subject; it would be ever so helpful in getting 6000 words to 8000 words and so on. Thank you for reading!