Zelda Movie: Volume III

This thread seems to be going in circles again.
The formula is quite simple, it's if the formula is done good is the question.

There is a story in Zelda that is universal through each game,
it's just using that story to concentrate to a feature film,
and replacing dungeons and temples with character and story development.
Only an idiot thinks that Zelda can be done by adapting a single game, as you're
basically saying that other games have never contributed to what makes Zelda to us now.
It needs to be the perfect blend of ALL the games. It's just down to smart writing.

Do you think that when they did the Transformers movie, they thought 'OH we'll base the story
of a PARTICULAR episode' ? No, they incorporated everything what made Transformers special.

I've argued my point to non-Zelda fans, ( and to make Fans too ) that Zeldas is NOT Lord of the Rings, nor some 'fairy boy' emotional fantasy. It is a children's adventure that everyone enjoys, that hasn't been done before. Claim it's something other than a children's fantasy, and your wanting it just to be another generic fantasy film that gets poured out to our theaters every year.

I don't understand why there is such pessimism over the subject anyways.
Comic book adaptations are now something of great importance, and it's only a matter
of time until video-game adaptations are taken more seriously, and once that happens, you can trust we'll be seeing video game adaptations doing just as successful as The Dark Knight.

Originally Posted by Kokirian Knight

darkbeastganon, you nailed right on the head in my opinion. This is key. Let me just say that I personally believe this is one of the reasons that a film has yet to be made. You see the story for Zelda, really at its core, is a fairy tale of a dude who rescues a princess and kills the bad guy who is trying to rule the world.. same thing as Mario but with an "elf" doing it. That was what The Ocarina of Time was about and it is most certainly the franchises most recognizable and popular game. So most people, fans anyways, seemingly recognize this either on a conscience or sub-conscience level, pass off the story, and instead focus on the ancillary details...if he wears a hat or not, tights or not, who should be cast as Link, even if it should be animated or not. This stuff is important but it is also subordinate to a very compelling and powerful story, the screenplay. I don't think Nintendo is worried so much about those details as the core story. It can't be as simple as the lover boy-rescue-princess-save world scenario. Its too generic, to0 tired and old (if that's all that it is) to really be successful - even with all the fancy Zelda lore thrown in as an interface to convey it. It could include those elements but it must be more than just that. It needs a good story, I mean a really good story must be at the core and the writers who understand how to do this - possilby someone like Steve Zailian or someone with similar talent, have yet to care about it. Mostly because, I believe, they havn't played any of the games. It's not primarily the story that grabs the gamers, its the experience of PLAYING what is, profoundly, a good game. A game is more than just a story, its interface, gameplay etc. Its hard to pull on board the big shot filmmakers because they havn't played it and when they look at it its like "oh, an elf who has to save a princess from an evil bad guy who wants to conquer the world <yawn>"
Someone needs to give em' a screenplay that knocks them of their feet...a story...

Alot of people see zelda as an elf kid stabbing bad guys. Theres more to that. In the game, notably mm, you have the desire to save the world . MM fills players with regret in the knowledge that they can do little else but watch as the world gets destroyed, creating a very strong reason to complete the game. For a movie the audience should identify with the character and want Link to be able to save Hyrule, as the audience watches Ganon consume the light with darkness

Originally Posted by super-fergus

I don't understand why there is such pessimism over the subject anyways.
Comic book adaptations are now something of great importance, and it's only a matter
of time until video-game adaptations are taken more seriously, and once that happens, you can trust we'll be seeing video game adaptations doing just as successful as The Dark Knight.

Seriously these filmmakers never get the videogame films right. They think its just fighting fighting fighting fighting fighting fighting. They don't seem to realize there's something more deep within the game. The message. What the characters are all about. Mario could never work to begin with

Originally Posted by super-fergus

I've argued my point to non-Zelda fans, ( and to make Fans too ) that Zeldas is NOT Lord of the Rings, nor some 'fairy boy' emotional fantasy. It is a children's adventure that everyone enjoys, that hasn't been done before.

In its essence it has been done before. Ridley Scott's Legend was basically such a film even though Jack wasn't a child, the never ending story was such a film, The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe was such a story, the wizard of oz, peter pan (hook), the pagemaster, etc. etc..

Originally Posted by super-fergus

Only an idiot thinks that Zelda can be done by adapting a single game, as you're basically saying that other games have never contributed to what makes Zelda to us now. It needs to be the perfect blend of ALL the games. It's just down to smart writing.

My exact point was verified by what you just said. Zelda needs a story, a very good story and NOT a basic genre story which was OOT. Most people, including Hollywood's top writers, would probably just think of it as such a generic fantasy story... I do not believe in adapting OOT into a film. In esssence that is what I stated. Take all of the Zelda lore and create an original and powerful story, that is what the Transformers movie did, as you said. I just see most people as identifying with the story as what OOT was, so it matters, big time, because "most people" is who the film's main market would be. Its the series single most defining moment since the first game. That is its essence and unless you or someone else who has played every single game is going to make a better film than the folks in Hollywood you have to accept the way that people outside of the gamers see Zelda.. which is why its still grounded for the moment. It doesn't seem that great of a story to them. But they could easily (or not so easily, depending on perspective) get an overview of the big picture and write a great story..

Originally Posted by darkbeastganon

Alot of people see zelda as an elf kid stabbing bad guys. Theres more to that. In the game, notably mm, you have the desire to save the world . MM fills players with regret in the knowledge that they can do little else but watch as the world gets destroyed, creating a very strong reason to complete the game. For a movie the audience should identify with the character and want Link to be able to save Hyrule, as the audience watches Ganon consume the light with darkness

I agree. I think the film makers need to PLAY the game before they even think about making a movie. if they can incorporate what they learned from the game's story into it it might be better. Also they can just keep the main elements and make their own story. that way people don't start considering teh story actual canon. It will be more of an Alternate Universe type of story or a What if. if you know what I mean. I think the problem with film makers is they probably just read about the game but don't research enough. Its just money to them they don't care about the fans. So even though I would love to see a Zelda movie I'm afraid to see it ruined by bad film makers. like they did with the Mario Bros movie D: *shivers*

When we've all finished agreeing that directors need to play the games, take a look at this that I threw up in Photoshop.



I just added death mountain. How's that for live action, eh?!

I know what you're thinking
'BUT THATS DESERTY'
Well, if you notice in a lot of the older games,
red rock was quite frequent. And besides, with a few matte
paintings, the green can be filled out more.

This is in Zion, Utah by the way.

^
That's pretty cool, I like it. I live in Utah and actually did a little hiking and canyoneering at Zions several months ago (Angels Landing and the Narrows)...truly a breath taking place. I like this composite with the vegetation and mountain added in. Helps to visualize how a real world for zelda could be brought to life.

Originally Posted by Kokirian Knight

^
That's pretty cool, I like it. I live in Utah and actually did a little hiking and canyoneering at Zions several months ago (Angels Landing and the Narrows)...truly a breath taking place. I like this composite with the vegetation and mountain added in. Helps to visualize how a real world for zelda could be brought to life.

I didn't add the vegetation!!
You live in Utah? That's awesome!
I might be heading there soon.

I think Zelda should sit with that, in a sort of
early 'America new world' / Western type of theme,
but taking a slice from the Peter Pan film too.

THAT is what separates Zelda from any other generic fantasy.

I don't think that looks like a desert at all, it just looks like mountains, the valley is actualy pretty lush. But that doesn't realy matter, it looks great. Reminds me alot of TP.

Great work Super-Fergus! It really does look like that part of Hyrule, and would work well for Karkariko Village. Speaking of which, you should try adding Kakariko to it =P

EDIT: Not only should the directors play the games, but they need to pay a visit to our Theorizing section and Zeldawiki.org, as those would be the perfect places for them to remove any confusion they might have.

Originally Posted by super-fergus

I didn't add the vegetation!!

Sorry about that mistake. I didn't remember as much vegetation as that but Zions is a big place, and there are different seasons of course. I also confused it with another part of Southern Utah, a place were I also recently went canyoneering near Goblin Valley (won't mean much to those who have never been there) which is a drier with less vegetation...so I confused the two in my mind. Looking through some of my photos I see that Zions can actually be fairly green which contrasts in an interesting way with the abundant red rock

Originally Posted by super-fergus

You live in Utah? That's awesome!
I might be heading there soon.

Have you ever been to Utah before? Just curious.

So I've been thinking it over as I just finished TP (finaly, don't know why it took so long). If they were to make a movie based on one of the games, even though most people have said OoT and ALttP, I think TP would make the best movie. I find that it has a radical different story from the rest of the series, and is more interesting. It has drama, action, twists. Pretty good charactor developement (compared to the rest of the series). And the story is pretty solid so there isn't a whole lot which would need to be made up. I think it would easily translate into a movie. Most of the story could stay the same, the only thing which would have to be changed would be dungeons (mayby make the fused shadow and TM in just one dungeon or something like that).
Having said that, I still think an original story would be best.

nice that looks like it can work as a setting for the movie.
You know what film makers should do. Listen to teh fans that will help them find out what we expect and all that other stuff they need to actually make a good movie.

but i guess that is to much to ask .

i hope the new movie will be awsome and the special effects will be realistic. if not il still watch it.

^Well if you're reffering to the film being made by Finishes, then sorry to disapoint, but it's a low budget fan film, the special effects are comparativly low to Hollywod.

As long as there's a Ganondorf to Ganon transformation like in Ocarina of Time, a Zelda movie would be good.

Originally Posted by Nickybo

As long as there's a Ganondorf to Ganon transformation like in Ocarina of Time, a Zelda movie would be good.

I didn't like OoT's Beast Ganon.
It just completely disregarded anything to do
with the classic blue Ganon, they could of AT LEAST tried to
use the old in some new way.

I'm talking about the transformation. It would look so funny with crappy special effects.

Originally Posted by super-fergus

I didn't like OoT's Beast Ganon.
It just completely disregarded anything to do
with the classic blue Ganon, they could of AT LEAST tried to
use the old in some new way.

Ferg, that's because Ganon didn't have the trident on OoT, thus no blue Ganon.

Originally Posted by Mattocks

Ferg, that's because Ganon didn't have the trident on OoT, thus no blue Ganon.

I don't see how that has got to do with anything :S

With that said... His swords are somewhat tridents.

Originally Posted by super-fergus

I don't see how that has got to do with anything :S

When Ganon was revived in OoX, Blue Ganon was created and his soul was sealed in the Trident (as evident by Japanese translations of OoX linked ending and FSA trident inscription). As FSA shows, anyone who touches the Trident of Power becomes Blue Ganon. Ganon in OoT and TP was created with the Triforce of Power (and maybe the Twilight for TP).

(Before anyone says he doesn't have the Trident in LoZ: LoZ's official art
and AST would like to have a word with you.)

Originally Posted by super-fergus

With that said... His swords are somewhat tridents.

But they aren't the Trident of Power and don't have Blue Ganon's soul in them.