The Zelda Movie Trailer (IGN lives in infamy)

Video game movies have always had a pretty shoddy reputation, for gamers and pretty much the entire viewing public. There have a few diamonds in the ruff; I mean Mortal Kombat is still the greatest video game-movie adaptation in my mind. What’s so funny is how fans still want to see a movie adaptation of the games they love so much (which is why Hollywood keeps releasing them). For proof, you need not look any further than IGN’s April Fools Joke earlier this month.

For anyone who didn’t get caught up in the joke, IGN released a fake Legend of Zelda movie trailer. The joke was met with some pretty angry fans, who got caught up in the trailer and took it as real. This joke had been in the works for months, IGN even outsourced the project to a production company. If it weren’t for the “IGN.com presents” intro, it may have even fooled me. Looking at the trailer, this would actually be a movie I would go and see. They did a good job casting the trailer, even if it was a joke. Link looked pretty believable, along with Zelda, although Ganondorf looked alittle too 70’s porn star with the full beard and large hair.

Here’s the trailer for those who haven’t had a chance to see it:

So now that the trailer has been released, I’ve been thinking of what would it take to make a successful Legend of Zelda movie? The first obvious obstacle would be coming up with a plot that made sense and at the same time paid homage to the games. To me this would be the most difficult feat, as the Zelda games have never been too strong in the plot department. To me the best game to write a screenplay for would be Legend of Zelda: A Link to The Past. This game to me was probably the most original in terms of story and development. There could be some political intrigue with Agahnim, taking over the throne of Hyrule. The differences in the light and dark world could also provide some pretty interesting set pieces.

So after the plot, the next obstacle would be casting the movie. The first choice would be if you wanted to make it a star studded event, or go with no-names for your cast. Here’s my picks for the Legend of Zelda movie cast.

Link: I think if any character needed to have a no-name actor cast, it would be Link. He never talks, only in the most current games did he even receive facial animations. But if you need to have a star I believe Billy Boyd from Lord of the Rings would be a good choice.

Zelda: This is probably the easiest casting call in the main cast. You could pretty much go with any blonde with a slim figure, but definitely gotta go with the tried and true, Kristin Bell.

Ganondorf: This is probably the hardest of the three main characters to cast. You need someone that can portray pure evil, and still have a pretty menacing body about him. I think with the right amount of make-up, and bulking, Christopher Lee would be a good fit as the evil tyrant Ganondorf.

So there you have it, my thoughts on a Legend of Zelda movie, if there ever is going to be one. What are your thoughts on a cinematic take on the Zelda series? What do you think would be some good choices for the cast of characters? Feel free to leave any comments, or flame me on my decisions for a Zelda cast.