Friendly neighborhood Spider-Man Tom Holland becomes a live-action version of The Legend of Zelda's Link in new fan art created with AI technology. Multiple Legend of Zelda games have released across many consoles throughout the years including Ocarina of Time, A Link to the Past, Majora’s Mask, and Breath of the Wild. Each has featured the hero Link who adventures across the land trying to defeat evil in a Peter Pan-esque tunic. Although the art style can change from game to game, Link’s appearance primarily remains the same, a boy (or sometimes man) with pointed ears, and light sandy hair, who only makes sounds through a series of yells and grunts.
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Holland has made an appearance as the protagonist of a game franchise before on the big screen as a young Nathan Drake in Uncharted. This adaptation was influenced by the game Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, although it was not a direct game to movie rework. Receiving mixed reviews on its release, it’s still unclear whether Uncharted will spawn a sequel, however, the director Ruben Fleischer has previously expressed interest. The film's box office success and Holland's star power certainly proved that the actor is able to carry a video game adaptation to the big screen.
Dan Leveille took to Facebook recently to share images created using AI technology Midjourney, where Holland has been transformed into the Hylian hero Link. The art shows Holland in various Link-inspired outfits, with piercing blue eyes and a thoughtful gaze. Leveille's post also includes a link where he asked AI technology to turn this concept into a film script.
Could A Zelda Film Happen With Tom Holland As Link?
There have been rumors in the past that Holland may one day be cast as the hero of few words, but so far none of this has been confirmed. Talks of Netflix taking on a live-action version of The Legend of Zelda circulate the internet occasionally, with no comment from the streamer on the matter. With the success of game adaptations such as the Castlevania animated series, a Zelda project could do well on the platform.
As always with popular franchises like The Legend of Zelda, there is the question of not only if there could be a film adaptation, but where it should be made. Although the games are well-loved by casual and serious gamers alike, the franchise’s timeline has had so many reboots and complex non-linear narratives over the years that it would be hard to pinpoint a singular story to focus on for a film or television series. There is also the very valid argument of the original Super Mario Bros. film being a complete flop, something that film and game fans both wish they could forget. Still, with the right budget and the right creative team attached, it's certainly possible that The Legend of Zelda could be a stunning live-action project.