Bo Bragason: Actress to play Zelda in live action film as fans applaud casting choice
Nintendo has officially announced that actress Bo Bragason will play Princess Zelda in the upcoming live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda.
Scheduled for theatrical release on May 7, 2027, the announcement has been met with widespread support online, especially for the decision to cast a woman in the role.
The update came directly from Nintendo on X (formerly Twitter) with franchise creator Shigeru Miyamoto confirming: “I am pleased to announce that for the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda, Zelda will be played by Bo Bragason-san, and Link by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth-san. I am very much looking forward to seeing both of them on the big screen.”
Bragason, known for her roles in The Jetty, Renegade Nell, and the 2024 feature The Radleys, also holds a minor voice credit in Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV. Her co-star, 16-year-old Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, has appeared in The Haunting of Bly Manor and starred as Pinocchio in Disney’s 2022 live-action remake.
One X (formerly Twitter) user wrote: “I speak for all Nintendo fans when I say that we support your decision to have a woman play Zelda.”
Another echoed the sentiment: “Thanks for having a woman play Zelda.”
The announcement appears to have calmed earlier speculation about whether the adaptation would adhere to the traditional portrayals of the characters.
Directed by Wes Ball (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, The Maze Runner trilogy), the film is being produced in collaboration with Sony Pictures, with Miyamoto and Marvel Studios founder Avi Arad onboard as producers.
The Zelda film follows the success of 2023’s The Super Mario Bros Movie, which brought in more than $1.3 billion worldwide, setting high expectations for Nintendo’s next cinematic adventure.
Who is Bo Bragason?
Born in 2004, Bragason has appeared in the critically acclaimed BBC series Three Girls (2017), as well as The Jetty and Disney+’s Renegade Nell (both 2024). Her film credits include Hidden Love (2007), Censor (2021), and The Radleys (2024).
Bragason was born in Chichester, West Sussex, but spent much of her early life abroad—seven years in Luxembourg and three in the south of France. After moving back to the UK in 2014, she settled with her family in Mere, Cheshire, and attended Knutsford Academy.
She began acting at the Knutsford Little Theatre, later joining the National Youth Theatre and attending weekend classes at David Johnson Drama School in Manchester.