Nintendo entering the Movie market, 2-3 years for the first film

[Azure Sen]

I'm actually quite excited for this and I wish Nintendo all the best in this endeavor. Here's hoping that having the original creator's input will end up making better video game adaptations than the ones that currently exist. Couldn't be any worse than the live-action Super Mario Bros. movie.

Um, Link isn't mute even in his games... (his grunts and yells and all, you know) He's a "silent protagonist" in that case. And him being such in a movie would not work at all. It could work in a movie like Dumbo, sure, but that's a lot different from Zelda.

Hello, film student here and that is absolutely not true. Film is an incredibly flexible medium that doesn't necessarily need dialogue to tell a story because it has the benefit of being a visual medium. Heck, there was a film released recently that was an FPS in movie format, complete with a silent protagonist a la Link. (The film is Hardcore Henry, for those curious.) Plus, Hyrule Warriors was able to give Link characterization and character development, and they still had him be silent.

Besides, can you imagine the backlash if they tried to make Link talk? There's a reason why no one likes the CDI games. (Well, there are a million and one reasons to hate those, but Link talking is a pretty big strike against them.)

From the interview I kind of get the impression that Zelda is what they plan to start with. What I wonder is how they'll handle Zelda, and other damsel in distress character going forward. In a post Frozen and The Force Awakens world it kind would give the films a dated look to have Zelda and Peach needing rescue by Link and Mario.

They'll probably just go the Hyrule Warriors route and have her fight in disguise as Shiek while everyone just thinks she's been captured.

[Magical Glace]

I'd rather have a talking Link, for a non-game medium. Yeah, it can work, but I feel for a plot like Zelda's it would be really awkward to not have him talk.

Besides, there's no backlash against the Zelda manga authors since Link talks in basically every Zelda manga out there, written by the Himekawa duo or no.

I feel like a similar issue would come up if you tried to make a film based on say, Pokémon or Dragon Quest.

[Water Mage]

Link has been getting more personality in more recent games, so having him talk in a movie wouldn't be too weird.

And Zelda has been getting more active as well, so her role probably won't cause much trouble. Besides, she's probably would portrayed as the movie's smart person, having the Triforce of Wisdom.

But would they make an original storyline, or base it on an existing game?

Edited May 19, 2016 by Water Mage

[Anacybele]

Hello, film student here and that is absolutely not true. Film is an incredibly flexible medium that doesn't necessarily need dialogue to tell a story because it has the benefit of being a visual medium. Heck, there was a film released recently that was an FPS in movie format, complete with a silent protagonist a la Link. (The film is Hardcore Henry, for those curious.) Plus, Hyrule Warriors was able to give Link characterization and character development, and they still had him be silent.

Besides, can you imagine the backlash if they tried to make Link talk? There's a reason why no one likes the CDI games. (Well, there are a million and one reasons to hate those, but Link talking is a pretty big strike against them.)

Yeah, but you forget that different things work for different kinds of stories in movies (as well as other media). Zelda is the type of story that simply wouldn't translate well into a movie if it kept its silent protagonist. And Hyrule Warriors is still a game, you know. :/

You really think a talking Link would be just like the one in the CD-I games? lol wow. Nintendo had NOTHING to do with those, you know. They definitely know better than to make Link like the one in those games.

Also, what Glaceon said. I've read some Zelda manga myself before and Link definitely does talk in them, and nobody seems to mind. If Nintendo is making a Zelda movie and Link doesn't talk, they don't get my money. I'm not interested in a silent Link, no thanks.

Edited May 19, 2016 by Anacybele

[secondworld]

My problem with a mute Link is that I have a hard time seeing it work with other characters in the movie.

Now a mute/only saying a couple lines Samus for a Metroid movie? Much yes.(even though a Metroid movie almost certainly won't happen)

[Anacybele]

My problem with a mute Link is that I have a hard time seeing it work with other characters in the movie.

Yeah, this, basically.

The reason it works in a movie like Dumbo is that Dumbo doesn't even appear to have a voice. He actually seems to be literally mute, physically unable to speak (or maybe his mother just hadn't taught him words yet, but you get the point). Link is different, he actually IS capable of speaking because he's seen introducing himself and explaining things to characters, he has grunts and yells, etc. How can you make something like that work in a movie? Really? It'd be totally weird and dumb.

Silent protagonists in movies aren't even given a voice. Link would have to have no voice for him being silent to work, and that would mess with consistency since in-game he does have a voice.

Edited May 19, 2016 by Anacybele

[Phoenix Wright]

xenoblade would for sure make a great movie.

fire emblem would probably suck. unless they put in g.o.t. levels of money. it simply wouldn't work as a movie. no rpg would imo.

Edited May 19, 2016 by Phoenix Wright

[Azure Sen]

I'd rather have a talking Link, for a non-game medium. Yeah, it can work, but I feel for a plot like Zelda's it would be really awkward to not have him talk.

Besides, there's no backlash against the Zelda manga authors since Link talks in basically every Zelda manga out there, written by the Himekawa duo or no.

Fair enough. I think it ultimately comes down to personal opinion, especially depending on what Zelda game they decided adapt; a more narrative-driven game like Twilight Princess or Skyward Sword would need a talking protagonist more than say an adaptation of A Link to the Past. A better solution might just be to make Zelda the protagonist and write a whole new adventure instead. It's a concept I'd like to see explored by people who aren't complete hacks, thanks for poisoning the well Animation Magic.

I'll admit, I forgot that there actually were manga adaptations of Zelda. From my experience, manga adaptations tend to get way more slack when they make changes, especially if the other thing came first. (Probably because, unlike say manga -> game or manga -> anime, the manga has no chance of overtaking the game as the largely "accepted" canon if it comes after.) I might just be a little cynical though, given that I've seen good adaptations thrashed by fans for changing minor details, so changing a big detail like suddenly having the hero speak makes me wary.

My problem with a mute Link is that I have a hard time seeing it work with other characters in the movie.

Depends on how much character interaction there is, first and foremost. If it was, say, an adaptation of the original game, Link being mute wouldn't be an issue because outside from the old men (who really are just an in-game hint system anyway) Link interacts with other characters all of once, twice if you count the backstory of Impa coming to him and asking him to rescue Zelda.

Yeah, but you forget that different things work for different kinds of stories in movies (as well as other media). Zelda is the type of story that simply wouldn't translate well into a movie if it kept its silent protagonist.

Speaking as someone who has written things for different mediums and who knows quite a bit about film production and history, there's very little that doesn't translate well from game to film, and having a silent protagonist is not one of those things. And just out of curiosity, what about the type of story Zelda makes it difficult to translate to film in your opinion?

And Hyrule Warriors is still a game, you know.

My point was that it's still possible to give a silent protagonist personality without having them speak, thus eliminating a major strike against having a silent protagonist.

You really think a talking Link would be just like the one in the CD-I games? lol wow. Nintendo had NOTHING to do with those, you know. They definitely know better than to make Link like the one in those games.

That was a joke.

[Anacybele]

Speaking as someone who has written things for different mediums and who knows quite a bit about film production and history, there's very little that doesn't translate well from game to film, and having a silent protagonist is not one of those things. And just out of curiosity, what about the type of story Zelda makes it difficult to translate to film in your opinion?

I posted above that Link interacts with characters a lot these days. He introduces himself, explains things, asks for information, etc. etc. How can he do this in a movie without being able to talk? And an adaptation of the original game would be BORING, there's like very little story in it.

Going back to Dumbo again, Dumbo interacts with few characters. The only two characters he has any notable interaction with are Mrs. Jumbo (his mother) and Timothy. And even then, Timothy is the only character he interacts with a lot. Dumbo's silence works fine in this case.

That was a joke.

Oh, my bad. I couldn't tell at all.

Edited May 19, 2016 by Anacybele

[Magical Glace]

Thing about Zelda is that it's usually Link + 1 or 2 other people in any given scene. Not having Link speak at all would make it seem like the other character is monologuing and he's just... there because he has to be.

But that's just me.

[blah the Prussian]

I'm actually quite excited for this and I wish Nintendo all the best in this endeavor. Here's hoping that having the original creator's input will end up making better video game adaptations than the ones that currently exist. Couldn't be any worse than the live-action Super Mario Bros. movie.

Hello, film student here and that is absolutely not true. Film is an incredibly flexible medium that doesn't necessarily need dialogue to tell a story because it has the benefit of being a visual medium. Heck, there was a film released recently that was an FPS in movie format, complete with a silent protagonist a la Link. (The film is Hardcore Henry, for those curious.) Plus, Hyrule Warriors was able to give Link characterization and character development, and they still had him be silent.

Besides, can you imagine the backlash if they tried to make Link talk? There's a reason why no one likes the CDI games. (Well, there are a million and one reasons to hate those, but Link talking is a pretty big strike against them.)

They'll probably just go the Hyrule Warriors route and have her fight in disguise as Shiek while everyone just thinks she's been captured.

Ooh, if there's any movie you want to avoid emulating, though, it's Hardcore Henry. One of the most phenomenally boring action films I've ever seen.

[Azure Sen]

Thing about Zelda is that it's usually Link + 1 or 2 other people in any given scene. Not having Link speak at all would make it seem like the other character is monologuing and he's just... there because he has to be.

But that's just me.

I mean, personally the scenes where Link interacts with other characters are far from the first thing I think of when I think of Zelda, and the modern games have gotten around that by having someone to speak for Link i.e. Navi or Tatl or Midna. But yeah, I think it does really just come down to personal opinion; I think either option (Link being silent or having a companion to speak for him) could work in a movie, but I can understand why others might not.

Ooh, if there's any movie you want to avoid emulating, though, it's Hardcore Henry. One of the most phenomenally boring action films I've ever seen.

Well, yeah, it's an FPS in movie form.

[blah the Prussian]

Yeah; and the problem wasn't that he didn't talk, to say the least. The problem with a Zelda movie is deciding which dungeons to cut out.