Who Are the Actors Behind Link and Zelda in Nintendo's Live-Action The Legend of Zelda Movie?

Nintendo has announced the actors acceptable to represent Link and Zelda successful its upcoming live-action The Legend of Zelda movie — but who are Bo Bragason and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth?

Unlike the casting of Chris Pratt arsenic Mario successful The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Nintendo has chosen a brace of comparatively chartless actors to capable its adjacent acceptable of iconic roles.

Perhaps that's for the best, considering the initially mixed absorption to Pratt's announcement. But it's besides apt retired of necessity, arsenic Link and Zelda are traditionally portrayed arsenic younger characters — and indeed, Ainsworth has landed his relation arsenic the series' protagonist portion aged conscionable 16.

All of that said, some Ainsworth and Bragason are acold from amateurs, and some already person respective notable roles nether their belts.

Benjamin Evan Ainsworth is Link

Benjamin Evan Ainsworth. Image credit: Nintendo.

Ainsworth, from Yorkshire successful bluish England, received his archetypal acting recognition successful the long-running TV soap Emmerdale, aged conscionable 10. His archetypal large relation was successful Netflix's 2020 fearfulness miniseries The Haunting of Bly Manor, wherever helium played main quality Miles Wingrave, 1 of the creepy children that Victoria Pedretti's quality looks after.

In 2022, Ainsworth voiced the main relation of Pinocchio successful Disney's live-action remake of its classical animated film. More recently, helium starred successful Canadian drama bid Son of a Critch, a 1980s-set coming of property communicative that charts Ainsworth's main quality done his aboriginal teens.

Most recently, Ainsworth starred other Bryan Cranston and Allison Janney successful the comedy-drama indie movie Everything's Going to Be Great!, which received a constricted merchandise successful theaters past month. Watch the trailer beneath to perceive Ainsworth's dependable — albeit with an American accent. Link speaks!

Bo Bragason is Zelda

Bo Bragason. Image credit: Nintendo.

Bo Bragason, Nintendo's prime to play Zelda, is besides British. Born successful Chichester successful 2004, Bragason spent parts of her puerility successful France — and technically archetypal appeared connected surface arsenic a toddler successful a French film, L'Amour Caché, other Inglourious Basterds prima Mélanie Laurent.

Later, successful 2007, Bragason got her archetypal large surface brushwood with the satellite of video games, providing question seizure for Young Luna successful Square Enix's CGI movie Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV.

Bragason's breakout roles some came successful 2024, erstwhile she played the younger sister of Renegade Nell successful Netflix's phantasy play of the aforesaid name, and the scene-stealing Amy Knightly successful BBC execution enigma miniseries The Jetty. Her quality there, a drink-swilling rebellious teen, is apt arsenic acold distant from a portrayal of Zelda arsenic we're apt to spot — though some characters bash stock thing of a fondness for horses.

With Nintendo's 2 main roles filled, attraction present turns to who other mightiness prima successful the live-action The Legend of Zelda film. The franchise's cardinal relation of Ganon seems astir guaranteed to appear, and we wouldn't beryllium amazed to spot different recurring characters specified arsenic Impa crook up too.

Could Jack Black instrumentality successful yet different video crippled adaptation, this clip arsenic Ganon? While a much seasoned histrion mightiness beryllium apt successful the relation to springiness the movie immoderate added prima power, past comments from the project's manager Wes Ball suggest he's not looking for idiosyncratic who tin propulsion disconnected yet different drama philharmonic number.

Discussing the movie successful May 2024, Ball said The Legend of Zelda should consciousness "grounded" and "real," with arsenic small question seizure arsenic imaginable — contempt his erstwhile enactment connected the CGI-heavy Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

With little than 2 years to spell until The Legend of Zelda opens successful theaters, Nintendo is inactive yet to accidental thing of the film's communicative oregon setting. Could this movie beryllium an adaptation of an existing game, specified arsenic the series' biggest hit, Nintendo Switch rubric The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, present relaunched for Switch 2? Or volition the movie archer an archetypal communicative (as archetypal arsenic Zelda storylines ever get)?

Today's casting quality provided our archetypal look astatine some Ainsworth and Bragason wearing apparel akin to costumes for their roles — the erstwhile successful a greenish tunic, the second successful a bluish formal reminiscent of Zelda's attire successful Breath of the Wild — though it's apt we're not seeing their last appearances. For 1 thing, Ainsworth has acheronian hair, and for another, neither histrion appears to person Hylian ears.

Still, immoderate fans judge today's announcement suggests the commencement of filming is present not acold distant — with Nintendo perchance getting up of immoderate on-set leaks. Here's hoping we get much quality (and a confirmation of Tingle?) soon.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social