Nintendo reportedly Canceled live-action 'Zelda' series after Netflix leaked plans

[dextersmith]

I'm ok with this. I'm not sure Zelda would work well as a movie/series.

Exactly why I couldn't stand that cartoon after awhile. Imagine that with live action.

[Pony Soldier]

It was probably for the best. While I would love to see a good live action Zelda movie/series at the same time I don't want the Zelda series tarnished by a shitty made live action series of it. We already had the old cartoon and the CDI games which to be honest have their own charm to them but do nothing to make the Zelda franchise look any better.

Netflix might've done a good job since they do have a decent record of good shows like Daredevil, Punisher, and Witcher but live action adaptations tend to go their own way just for the sake of being "different" and "original" and change things that really shouldn't be changed. I bet this Zelda series would've suffered the same thing like Link wearing some boring, generic gray and brown leather outfit instead of his iconic green tunic, or replaced the fairy companion with like some bird or some shit. Some small thing that would just be really annoying to big Zelda fans like me.

So I'm taking this as one of those blessings in disguise.

[desertlizard]

good, we don't REALLY need any of it go back to make btow 2 nintendo

[Edge-]

good, we don't REALLY need any of it go back to make btow 2 nintendo

Do...you think that the development team would like...make the show? You realize this would just be a licensed deal, not training a software development team how to make a TV series.

[Rozz]

They'd be better off making mini-animation projects about different aspects of Hyrule to deepen interest in the world. No issue about timelines, just nice shorts adding flavor to the world and characters we know.

It is a shame they canceled other projects though, setting fire to everything is unfortunate.

[Usernameforforums]

A lot of the Netflix stuff is garbage

[blankfaced]

As the old saying goes "Loose lips sink ships."

[valax]

Now I wish to see a live action Goron or Zora just so i can wish to unsee it after lmao.

[exsanguinate]

I'm fine with it. Had no desire to see india link and black dread lock zelda

[LemonDemonGirl]

They'd be better off making mini-animation projects about different aspects of Hyrule to deepen interest in the world. No issue about timelines, just nice shorts adding flavor to the world and characters we know.

It is a shame they canceled other projects though, setting fire to everything is unfortunate.

You mean like the animated shorts Blizzard does for WoW, like the Afterlives ones? That'd be fun

[Rozz]

You mean like the animated shorts Blizzard does for WoW, like the Afterlives ones? That'd be fun

Yeah something like that would be really cool!

[Magical Mudcrab]

I'm ok with this. I'm not sure Zelda would work well as a movie/series.

I started watching that video thinking it was not going to be as bad as the title suggested, but found that the title is accurate: Link does say "Well, excuuuse me, Princess" far too many times.

[Cosmic Janitor]

I personally doubt we will miss out on much here. Frankly, I don't think Zelda has even remotely enough depth over any random fantasy source material to make it in any way special enough. The strength of the franchise was always the gameplay. If you have writers that can write a good story they could do so in every other universe as well. And your expectations in regards the visual style would clash less with reality as well.

[Low Hanging Fruit]

While a few video games have been pulled off into at least functional movies and tv shows... at the end of the day though.. most of them are utter disasters. So we are probably lucky to be honest. I will just go ahead and say never to expect Nintendo to conform to western forms of entertainment for the long haul. Sure, a cash grab is always welcome but something like a multishow/season, high budget, tv show where they would be upheld to contracts and development windows and suggestions? Not very likely. They would want total and utter control in all things from productions, cast, writing, and everything else.

Top it off with Zelda being a pretty open world without a lot of depth. Most of the games boil down to bad man does bad things. Bad man takes the lady. Boy has to rescue lady but is to weak. So boy goes and get things to make him stronger and then boy can kill/vanquish/expel bad man until it happens again. It makes for great video games because you got to figure out where to go, how to do it, and then use the tools provided to overcome layered challenges that combine all the tools slowly over time. But to just watch what is normally a silent protagonist walk around the world finding ladders, hook shots, and bows seems thin. Something like the Witcher works because you got lust and love, violence, cursing, nudity, and all those things that aren't very Nintendo. But most importantly it has dialog and personality. Link's personality is in your head for the most part. It takes on you in a way if you dig deep into the game with your imagination. So finding a Link that would work for everyone.. very challenging.

[Cosmic Janitor]

Something like the Witcher works because you got lust and love, violence, cursing, nudity, and all those things that aren't very Nintendo. But most importantly it has dialog and personality.

Let's not forget that the games were preceeded by pretty good novels, which have everything from character drama to political intigue and then some adventure on top of that. Adapting novels to motion pictures is definitely not new and has been done successfully countless times. The examples for good videogame adaptations is rather thin on the other hand, especially for games that have very little story in the first place.

[Low Hanging Fruit]

Let's not forget that the games were preceeded by pretty good novels, which have everything from character drama to political intigue and then some adventure on top of that. Adapting novels to motion pictures is definitely not new and has been done successfully countless times. The examples for good video games is rather thin on the other hand, especially for games that have very little story in the first place.

Yeah I think I said that too.

[Zenfoldor]

I personally doubt we will miss out on much here. Frankly, I don't think Zelda has even remotely enough depth over any random fantasy source material to make it in any way special enough. The strength of the franchise was always the gameplay. If you have writers that can write a good story they could do so in every other universe as well. And your expectations in regards the visual style would clash less with reality as well.

I disagree. The Hero of Time is a tale that is, well....timeless. Often, the simplest themes make great shows and the Zelda lore is deeper than one might imagine. Just the same, a complex narrative does not a good show make. Quality can be derived by the artist regardless of the subject of the painting, though I also disagree with your premise that this isn't an ideal subject.

No, imho it isn't the source material that would prevent this from being a great show, but rather my trust in the skill and scope of the show's development that would worry me.

[desertlizard]

Do...you think that the development team would like...make the show? You realize this would just be a licensed deal, not training a software development team how to make a TV series.

i do realize this is a licensed deal, and not just because of it, it has to be Great! you know? Nintendo has had its ups and downs and the whole idea of a zelda tv action series its just a no no.

[gondrin]

As the old saying goes "Loose lips sink ships."

Or in this case "Loose lips pink slips."

[Dravec]

Thank God.

They would have made Zelda black or some other nonsense.