'The Legend of Zelda' Movie Reportedly Wants Hunter Schafer as Princess Zelda
When it comes to video game movies, The Legend of Zelda is easily among the most anticipated, and the titular character might have been cast. Despite The Legend of Zelda typically following the hero Link, the series is named after Princess Zelda, the Hylian princess of the kingdom of Hyrule and the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom. The feature film adaptation, set to be directed by Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes director Wes Ball, is slated for release on Mar. 26, 2027, meaning casting is about to pick up.
Scooper Daniel Richtman, via Game Fragger, says that Hunter Schafer is being eyed to play the role of Zelda. Schafer is best known for her role as Jules Vaughn on the HBO series Euphoria. Her other credits include Kinds of Kindness, The Hunger Games: A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and Cuckoo. Neither Nintendo nor Sony Pictures has commented on the rumored casting choice.
The Chances that Hunter Schafer Will be the Princess of Hyrule
Since The Legend of Zelda movie was announced as a live-action project, Schafer emerged as a fan-favorite pick to play Princess Zelda. Like fellow Euphoria cast members Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, and Barbie Ferreira, Schafer has emerged as one of the most in-demand stars working today. In addition to Zelda, Schafer is rumored to be on Marvel Studios' radar to play Mystique in the X-Men reboot. Schafer is currently filming the long-awaited third season of Euphoria.The Legend of Zelda feature film was confirmed in November 2023 and will be produced by Avi Arad. Arad's name certainly raises some concern for Nintendo fans because, while he produced many influential Marvel films of the early 2000s, like X-Men and Spider-Man, he also produced films like Kraven the Hunter and the poorly received video game movie, Borderlands. Many fans are also curious that Sony Pictures, the company behind one of Nintendo's biggest console competitors with the PlayStation, is distributing a film of The Legend of Zelda.
Due to the iconic status of The Legend of Zelda video game series, whoever Ball casts as Link, Zelda, and the main villain Ganon will be stepping into some iconic roles with some big expectations put behind them. Schafer is a strong pick for Zelda, as there is no doubt she has the look of the iconic video game character. When The Legend of Zelda film was first announced, Schafer commented on fans' request to play the iconic princess, saying, "That would be really cool." Schafer seems open to the idea. That might suggest the casting rumor is just wish fulfillment, building off a popular name to generate engagement. Still, it also might indicate that Nintendo, Arad, and Ball know the rising star is game to play in the world of Hyrule.
