When an outlet like The Wall Street Journal reports on a live-action The Legend of Zelda show, the online entertainment blogosphere is going to sit up and take notice. Why? The Wal Street Journal is a national institution–not a run-of-the-mill, entertainment blog putting it out there that a Zelda show is getting made. Currently, nothing is official. The rumor says that Nintendo and Netflix are working on a live-action show, based on the popular video game franchise, that would follow the adventures of the hero Link. Netflix and Nintendo reps refused to comment on the story. When that happens, I tend to believe there is some credence to a story. Heck, even when corporations deny a story, it could still very likely be true. That said, I am still skeptical about the validity of the story–and even whether the show will ever come to fruition.
In the past, there have been rumors about live-action versions of Zelda or other Nintendo properties getting made, and nothing materializes. The extent of live-action pieces of Zelda media includes cheap fan films on YouTube or goofy fan parodies. In recent years, Nintendo has been rather protective of its properties being adapted to other media. When one looks back at the Hollywood bomb that was the Super Mario Bros. live-action movie, the company has good reason to be. Even back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when Nintendo was licensing its properties like crazy, the results are viewed in a less than favorable manner. Case in point: The Legend of Zelda animated series, the Super Mario Bros. animated shows and Captain N: The Game Master. So, one could totally understand why Nintendo would be more protective of its crown jewels rather than again open its doors to Hollywood adaptations.
However, media and perceptions are changing. Video game consoles are becoming multimedia devices, and are no longer used solely for video gaming entertainment. That means, people who own an Xbox One or PlayStation 4 also want to use those consoles to watch all their movies and TV shows. The consoles are used to stream Netflix, HBO, WWE Network and UFC events. One of Nintendo’s problems is that the company has been a little slow to evolve forward with these ideas. Just for example, the PlayStation Network is producing an original TV series, Powers, based on a popular Brian Michael Bendis comic book. That series will be available exclusively on PlayStation Network. Steven Spielberg is producing a live-action Halo TV series that will be available exclusively for Xbox Live. Perhaps Nintendo feels the need to catch up to its competitors and not be left in the lurch.
That said, I am still skeptical about the reality of a Zelda show. I am dubious because Nintendo has been so protective of its properties in the past, and Nintendo can be considerably stuck in its ways. For me to really believe this, I would have to know what changed for the brass of Nintendo and how they got the key players on board for a live-action Netflix show. Ultimately, I will not believe this show is real until it is streaming on Netflix, and I can see it for myself.
Also, while I am not saying that The Wall Street Journal is making up the story, the publication also had very little go on. The source was reported as “a person familiar with the matter.” I need a little more reliable information than that to truly buy into the story.
A live-action show based on The Legend of Zelda show might become a reality one day. However, based on the article, the project appears to be a long way off. If the report is true, I will cautiously await the results.
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