The Legend of Zelda live-action film has added the late actor Sam Neill, Dichen Lachman, and Yvonne Strahovski to its growing cast.
The new additions to the live-action video game adaptation by Nintendo and Sony arrived as an unexpected update for the film industry. Director Wes Ball is heading the project, which incorporates Neill in one of his final screen performances.
Neill passed away on July 13 at the age of 78. Filming for the movie concluded in April, several months prior to his death, leaving his work on the project fully completed. In addition to The Legend of Zelda, Neill will also make posthumous appearances in the feature films Godzilla x Kong: Supernova and The Last Resort. His specific role in the Zelda project has not yet been disclosed.
Character details for new cast additions
Unlike Neill, the casting announcements for the two actresses included details about their roles. Dichen Lachman will portray Impa, the loyal bodyguard and advisor to Princess Zelda. Impa is considered one of the most essential and recurring figures throughout the Nintendo video game franchise. Lachman is widely known for her role in the television series Severance.
Yvonne Strahovski, well known for her role in the series The Handmaid's Tale, will play a queen. The production has not specified which queen Strahovski will portray or how prominent her character will be within the story.
The three actors join main cast members Bo Bragason, starring as Princess Zelda, and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, playing Link. Their lead roles were announced a little over a year ago. Until this week, Nintendo and Sony had kept all other casting choices entirely secret.
Villain rumors and theatrical release date
The official casting updates arrived just hours after rumors surfaced regarding who will play the main villain of the story. Reports indicate that Uli Latukefu is expected to play Ganondorf, the primary antagonist of the franchise.
With the new cast members joining the project, the feature adaptation continues to take shape ahead of its planned theatrical release on May 7, 2027.
