Legend of Zelda Live-Action Taps Severance Favorite — Who’s Heading to Hyrule?

All eyes are on Nintendo and Sony’s live-action Legend of Zelda, now rolling cameras in Wellington under Wes Ball, hot on the heels of Benjamin Evan Ainsworth being confirmed as Link.

File this under: Zelda is finally happening, and the pieces are starting to click into place. Nintendo and Sony are backing a live-action Legend of Zelda, Wes Ball (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes) is directing, and production kicked off in Wellington, New Zealand, in November 2025. The vibe is 'grounded fantasy,' which sounds like they want Hyrule to feel tactile and lived-in, not shiny CGI soup. And now there is a new wrinkle: Dichen Lachman might be in the cast.

The Dichen Lachman of it all

Multiple industry reports, including IGN, plus on-set sightings and set video chatter, point to Severance star Dichen Lachman joining the film. No one has officially said who she is playing, but the loud and fairly consistent theory is Impa. There was even a clip shared by a fan account on November 15, 2025 that poured fuel on that fire. Nothing signed in blood yet, but the tea leaves are all pointing the same way.

If she is Impa, that tells us a few things about the movie. Impa is Zelda's guardian and a Sheikah elder in key parts of the game timeline. Her presence usually means Zelda herself is central to the plot and the royal family/Sheikah dynamic matters. It also hints at an older, wiser Impa (think Ocarina of Time or Breath of the Wild) rather than the younger, acrobatic takes you see in spin-offs. With Benjamin Evan Ainsworth playing a younger Link, an early mentor figure makes a lot of sense structurally.

None of this locks the movie to one specific game story, but combine Impa possibly being in the mix with Ball's 'grounded fantasy' pitch, and you get a picture of a Hyrule built around legacy, mentorship, and Sheikah history. There is even a fresh rumor that this could be the first part of a trilogy. That has fans excited and also chewing their nails. For now, it's just a rumor.

So where is the movie right now?

Nintendo and Sony have only officially confirmed the leads: Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link and Bo Bragason as Princess Zelda. The rest of the cast is under wraps while the film shoots largely on closed locations in Wellington. No sanctioned stills yet, but leaked set photos suggest Link and Zelda are wearing outfits that lean toward Breath of the Wild-style designs. That tracks with the grounded approach and the Impa speculation, but again, nothing official.

Who is steering the ship

Wes Ball is in the director's chair. Shigeru Miyamoto and Avi Arad are producing, in a collaboration Nintendo and Sony announced jointly. Also notable: Sony says Nintendo is putting up more than 50% of the budget. That is a big tell that Nintendo wants real control here, similar to how it handled The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

Quick snapshot of the production

• Studio backing: Nintendo and Sony Pictures
• Director: Wes Ball (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes)
• Producers: Shigeru Miyamoto and Avi Arad
• Leads: Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (Link), Bo Bragason (Princess Zelda)
• Reported new cast: Dichen Lachman, likely as Impa (not confirmed)
• Location: Wellington, New Zealand; principal photography began November 2025
• Look and tone: 'Grounded fantasy'; leaked costumes evoke Breath of the Wild
• Nintendo's stake: Financing more than half, per Sony Pictures
• Marketing: Expect fuller cast reveals and first-look images after principal wraps
• Release date: Theatrical on May 7, 2027

What to expect next

Assuming the Lachman/Impa chatter pans out, we are probably looking at a story that gives Link a mentor early and positions Zelda as a true co-lead with deep ties to Sheikah lore. The suits are keeping everything else locked down until it is time to flip the marketing switch. With a 2027 date already on the calendar, the next big info dump should land once they wrap principal photography. At that point, we will finally see how they are shaping Hyrule for live action. Personally, the more this leans into Impa, the better.