'The Legend of Zelda' - movie.

To all that read this.

I had totally forgotten about this thread.
I created this thread in 2007, and I rather wish I hadn't.
I wouldn't mind so much if this thread was locked.

For those of you that don't know what this thread was about,
it was really me announcing that I hope to make Zelda into a motion picture
in the far future, when I had enough leverage to make it.

I've come a long way since then, and I believe my thoughts then were
narrow and naive. Though I do not deny now, that still wish to make it one day,
I just should keep it under wraps. I am not going to be attending LA like I said in my first edit.

I have however been slowly but surely writing the trilogy.
This is defiantly a franchise I don't want to destroy, considering its my favorite.
This is something I'm not quite private about, but if you'd like me to share my idea with you, you can PM me.

I'd also like to apologize to anyone I seemed hostile to in this post.
Anything I may of previously said, as probably been changed, in terms of my views.

For those wishing to know my current status as a film maker, well -

I've just finished Film , Art and Drama studies.
I've been an extra in 4 motion pictures, including the upcoming 'City of Ember'
I've been film-making since before I was 11.
Over the past years, I've been adding to my list of useful contacts in the industry.
I've got a few current projects that I'm going to be putting together as a part of my showreel.
After that I'll be getting investors for a feature length motion picture I've been writing.

If you wish to see any of my videos at the moment, PM me please.

Thanks for reading =]

Only thing i can think of is not to cast a girl as Link like in peter pan, lol

I don't think that would go down to well with pretty much everyone.

You're in Film School now, or you want to go? I hate to break it to you, but it'll take awhile before you can take on a full-length Zelda movie. They just don't give multi-million dollar deal's to Film School graduates. But, good luck anyway.

...
I really would like to see very complex characters:
such as a character that is very naive who is on zelda's side, is swayed into working for ganon, and in a very cliche moment, makes a very uncliche choice, the moment is where he has to do something really bad to zelda or link, and has a personality crisis, but makes the wrong choice.
I would also like to see some symbolism in the movie, movies lacking symbolism are not very awe-ing(sp?)
those are my thoughts.

Hey, sounds good! Johnny K. is right, but if you ever got the chance it would be good to know what fans want. The biggest problem I envision is Nintendo allowing it.

The real secret is to keep the Zelda feeling. Big, majestic landscape, quirky characters (not as quirky as Tingle, though,) monsters, magic, the usual. Assuming Link is in it, you have to be careful. Seeing a guy in a skirt is a bit... creepy. Make it a bit lower and straighter or something, like what you might see in Lord of the Rings but green. I can't say I know anything about movie making though, so this may not be worth anything.

Originally Posted by Johnny K.

You're in Film School now, or you want to go? I hate to break it to you, but it'll take awhile before you can take on a full-length Zelda movie. They just don't give multi-million dollar deal's to Film School graduates. But, good luck anyway.

Haha! Don't worry, I'm aware of that. I know i'll have to work my way up there to get even anywhere remotely to such a film, but have faith

Originally Posted by lordandyofx

Hey, sounds good! Johnny K. is right, but if you ever got the chance it would be good to know what fans want. The biggest problem I envision is Nintendo allowing it.

The real secret is to keep the Zelda feeling. Big, majestic landscape, quirky characters (not as quirky as Tingle, though,) monsters, magic, the usual. Assuming Link is in it, you have to be careful. Seeing a guy in a skirt is a bit... creepy. Make it a bit lower and straighter or something, like what you might see in Lord of the Rings but green. I can't say I know anything about movie making though, so this may not be worth anything.

Nintendo are prepared to bring their titles to the big screen, most defiantly, it's just finding a director with such a enthusiasm for such a project, After all, it's their franchise. Though any nintendo film project has been said that it will be produced by nintendo, so they'd defiantly keep an eye on how their games are adapting.

I would try to pull away from lord of the rings as much as i can.
I aim to have a sort of Indiana jones pace to the film - action, adventure, and comic scenarios. Though I do agree on what i assume your meaning by LOTR, by epic, and lengthy. It would achieve that too. a trilogy is in order, simply because the mythology in zelda is too much to contain in just one film!

One of the main tricks is fill in vital parts of the film that replace the aspects of dungeon to dungeon, yet through out the trilogy, realizing that all the themes , world, spieces have been portrayed into the plot.

IF you could hit the LOTR style epicness it would be golden.
Things to hit upon.
Link (this will be a hard one, as he doesn't talk, could he break his silence for a movie), Some things about link: - Left handed, man of little (or no) worlds, pointy eared, No parents (no link has ever had ingame parents that didnt die when he was a baby).
Zelda, Not just a blonde Princess who needs to be rescues, remember, zelda is always a key player, she has been the 7th and greatest sage, the Oracle of Hope, the 7th Maiden.
Hyrule, needs to feel epic, and big, and diverse, but not too big.
Triforce, need to make sure you don't script anything that could contradict zelda canon
Races i think need to be included.
Hylians
Humans (they are different)
Zoras
Gorons
Gerudo
Deku
Fairies
Sheikahs

I could go on for hours about things that need to be in, but im sure i dont need to.

Just tell me this. Where do you plan set the film, in the zelda timeline?

I'm afraid i don't agree with you on the 'next to no words' type of Link.
Link is the main character, the main character needs to appeal to the audience,
and this will be achieved on how he is portrayed through out the films.

My intention was to start Link as a cheeky, sarcastic and yet with a heart of gold.
Through the events of the films, he would mature, and become serious with in what has happened.

The mythology of zelda's backround is never perminant from game to game, thus there is no need to stick to her being a sage.

Remember, this would be set before any of the games, and has no relation to them. This allows for the story to be flexible, and surprising.

Hey, well good luck with your Film School thing!
A Zelda Film would sound really cool, but I don't think anyone could ever do it correctly with real actors. I think someone would have to make it digitally made. But you could try!

im not saying "make zelda a sage", i was saying "DONT make zelda a blonde princess who gets kidnapped and is stuck up a tower going "SAVE ME LINK, SAVE ME" alla princess peach"
Setting it before any game is probably the safest bet, and the smartest.
And i think i do agree with Link talking in a film, just be careful with this one, Link talking isnt usually dealt with well, "I'm so hungry, i could eat an Octorock" and "Well Excuuuuuse me princess" Come to mind. But im sure you could do a better job, + TP felt weird with Midna confronting Ganon and link standing by.

Originally Posted by Ti-Link

Hey, well good luck with your Film School thing!
A Zelda Film would sound really cool, but I don't think anyone could ever do it correctly with real actors. I think someone would have to make it digitally made. But you could try!

Doing it digitally removes far too much fun from a film! not to mention, it's less flexible, and more expensive. Imagine, no red carpet for the premiere! no behind the scenes footage/out-takes! A zelda film CAN be done with actors, keeping in mind it has to fit the character. eg - not brad bitt, or orlando bloom.

I'd not use main stream actors anyway.

Originally Posted by Hyrules-Hero

im not saying "make zelda a sage", i was saying "DONT make zelda a blonde princess who gets kidnapped and is stuck up a tower going "SAVE ME LINK, SAVE ME" alla princess peach"
Setting it before any game is probably the safest bet, and the smartest.
And i think i do agree with Link talking in a film, just be careful with this one, Link talking isnt usually dealt with well, "I'm so hungry, i could eat an Octorock" and "Well Excuuuuuse me princess" Come to mind. But im sure you could do a better job, + TP felt weird with Midna confronting Ganon and link standing by.

Well of course not the 'stuck in tower' idea, but eventually, it's going to lead to that on a bigger scale. Ocarina of time was the same scenario, she was in need of saving wasn't she?

My advice is to read the OoT manga books. His innocent yet boyish character is played well. Your going to hate me, but i DO like Link's over confidence in th e cartoons. I don't mean to portray it like that was, but he does know that he's above some enemies, and isn't afraid to show it. spider-man is the same, and it works.

The films would show and include -
Links destiny as a hero (as much as he denies it)
Ganondorf's rise to the throne.
Zelda's tollerance of Link (an example would be han solo, princess leia.)
How Link's acts of heroism affects Hyrule,
and how it benefits him against Ganondorf in the end.

I don't want to give away too much, but i do have a lot already thought out.

Well, end of the day, its your project, however treat it in a way were you will not annoy too much of the zelda community, granted you will always annoy some.
Dont cross canon. And you will be fine.
Films that cross the games canon always tend to be frowned upon by the games community.
Best of luck with this then.
And i think i speak for most of us, when i say, the Zelda comunity will be happy to help you hit that true zelda feel in the film.

But, you've got to think of Nintendo. Knowing them, they wouldn't just hand out the rights to the name for an amature. If somebody big like Stephen Speilburg or George Lucas asked, they wouldn't hesitate with a "yes".

Cartoon Link personality?
Sweet.
Seriously, I like the idea of seeing him grow. Much different from how he's normally personified in fan fiction.

I honestly think that if you are ever to make this film, then you need to focus more on appealing to a wider audience than just the Zelda players, unless you have money like Square Enix and can afford to make a fan service film like Advent Children.
And honestly, it's impossible to please the Zelda community (as has been said), especially when opinions change so fast- anyone remember the backlash at the name "Twilight Princess?" Or the graphics of The Wind Waker?

Overall, I like the ideas you have so far, so good luck in the future.

And don't double-post. Just use the Edit button.

Well if you attempt this I will support you 100& of the way. Only thing I ask is that you don't overlook canon. So if there are any parts with canon, try and make sure you dont completly go against it.

Lucky for you, the characters of the Zelda series are flexible. I mean Link goes from, outcast in OoT to a town role model in TP. Their home life is so drasticly different its insane.

But anyways, good luck with your film.