The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (film)

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is a upcoming 2016 Japanese-American 3D computer-animated fantasy-adventure comedy-drama film based on the 2003 Nintendo GameCube video game of the same name. It will be produced by Illumination Entertainment and distributed by Universal Pictures. The Legend of Zelda series developer and publisher, Nintendo, will play a role in the film’s production, screenplay, character development, and animation consulting.

Plans for a Legend of Zelda feature film was originally brought by 20th Century Fox in 1995, then Geo G.'s production company Glass Ball Productions later sold rights to the film. Geo acquired the rights to The Wind Waker in May 2005 with a release date for 2009, but a few months later it was revealed that he was set to direct Sherman's Lagoon. In 2007, Imagi Animation Studios made a pitch for the Legend of Zelda CGI-animated movie, but was also scrapped. The film is finally announced on March 16, 2013 by Universal Studios and Illumination Entertainment with a release for 2016.

The Wind Waker will feature the voices of Debi Derryberry, Miley Cyrus, Clancy Brown and Tara Strong. The film will be directed by Chris Renaud and Henry Selick and written by Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio and one of The Legend of Zelda creators, Eiji Aonuma. It is currently scheduled for a release in the United States on April 15, 2016 and internationally on May 20, 2016 and launching a new franchise, with a sequel titled The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass scheduled to be released on April 6, 2018. Two more sequels have also been planned, and they are The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks and The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures.

Plot
Link, the protagonist of the Zelda series, struggles against his nemesis, Ganondorf, for control of a sacred relic known as the Triforce. Link spends a large portion of the film sailing, traveling between islands, and traversing dungeons and temples to gain the power necessary to defeat Ganondorf. He also spends time trying to find his little sister Aryll.

Cast
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 * Jess Harnell as Link
 * Hynden Walch as Tetra/Princess Zelda
 * Clancy Brown as Ganondorf
 * Tara Strong as Aryll
 * Jim Cummings as Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, Great Deku Tree, Senza
 * Grey DeLisle as Medli/Laruto
 * Frank Welker as King of Red Lions, Valoo, Jabun, and Pigs
 * Patrick Warburton as Gonzo
 * Russell Brand as Nudge
 * Maya Rudolph as Mako
 * Tom Kenny as Zuko
 * Josh Gad as Niko
 * Pierre Coffin as Makar/Fado, and Zephos
 * Chris Renaud as Irch, Oakin, Rown, Hollo, Linder, Olivio, Cyclos, and Beedle
 * Rob Paulsen as Maggie's Father and Tingle
 * Kari Wahlgren as Maggie

Development
In 1995, 20th Century Fox purchased the film rights to The Legend of Zelda from Nintendo, intending to produce a live-action feature film. John McTiernan, director of Die Hard and its sequel was set to write the screenplay. In December 1998, Fox hired Chris Wedge to direct an all-CGI film, with Blue Sky Studios producing it for a 2003 release.

In September 1999, Wedge was replaced with animator Geo G. to direct a live-action/CGI feature film. After writing the script, the film didn't go into production, and Geo left next year to direct CG-animated feature films at his production company, Glass Ball Productions. It was announced in June 2001 under simply Untitled Zelda Film, originally a traditionally animated film being made by Glass Ball Productions, Geo's company, and distributed by Columbia Pictures. In May 2003, Geo acquired the rights to The Wind Waker, which the title was changed to, with a release date for 2009, and Geo was set to direct the film. A few months later it was revealed that he was set to direct Sherman's Lagoon.

In 2007, Imagi Animation Studios, who provided the animation for TMNT and Astro Boy, created a pitch reel for a computer-animated Legend of Zelda movie. Nintendo, who had previously had a bad experience from the critical and financial failure of the 1993 Super Mario Bros. film adaptation, did not take the studio up on their offer.

On March 16, 2013, it was announced that a 3D computer-animated feature film based on The Wind Waker will be released on April 15, 2016 in the United States and internationally on May 20, 2016, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the debut of the video game and the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda. Written by Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio and one of The Legend of Zelda creators, Eiji Aonuma, it will be produced by Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment, animated by the French studio "Illumination Mac Guff", which was the animation department of Mac Guff which was acquired by Illumination Entertainment in the summer of 2011. It will be produced by Chris Meledandri and directed by Chris Renaud, the director of Illumination's Despicable Me and The Lorax. On August 1, 2013, Henry Selick, the director of The Nightmare Before Christmas, joined Renaud to direct the film. Hans Zimmer was originally going to compose the score, but he was replaced by Danny Elfman. On October 24, 2013, Heitor Pereira, who composed the first two Despicable Me films, replaced Elfman.

Casting
In May 2013, it was revealed that Jess Harnell, the actor who voiced Wakko Warner, will voice Link. Hynden Walch, the actor who voiced Starfire will voice Tetra/Princess Zelda. Clancy Brown, the actor who played Mr. Krabs from SpongeBob SquarePants, will voice Ganondorf, Link's nemesis. Originally, Elsie Kate Fisher, the actor who played Agnes from Despicable Me, was set to voice Aryll, Link's younger sister, but she was replaced by Tara Strong, who played Timmy Turner from The Fairly OddParents and Bubbles from The Powerpuff Girls.

Animation
Chris Meledandri, CEO of Illumination Entertainment, said in October 2013 that they will start animating the film sometime in 2015.

Release
Universal Pictures announced on April 4, 2013 that the film would be released on November 6, 2015 in the United States, but it was pushed to April 15, 2016, both to avoid competition with Peanuts. The film will be released internationally on May 20, 2016. The film will accompanied by an animated short film titled Lost in Paradise featuring the minions.

Home media
Universal Studios Home Entertainment will release The Wind Waker on DVD and Blu-ray in the United States on October 11, 2016, and Japan on March 7, 2017. It will be accompanied by three new "mini movies" titled Final, Treasure Hunting, and Splash!.

Sequels
On July 28, 2013, Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment announced that they were developing a sequel to The Wind Waker. On September 9, 2013, it was announced that the sequel would be titled The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. That film is set for release on April 6, 2018. It will be the second Illumination Entertainment film to be a sequel, the first being Despicable Me 2, which released on July 3, 2013. On September 17, 2013, Universal announced The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks and The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures to follow Phantom Hourglass, respectively.

Reviews
Click here to review the film.

Trivia

 * This is the first Illumination Entertainment film to have a fairy tale.
 * This is also the second Illumination Entertainment film to have child protagonist. The first is The Lorax.
 * This is the first Illumination Entertainment film to have a video game adaptation.
 * This is the second Nintendo film after Super Mario Brothers (film).
 * This is the first Illumination Entertainment film to have outtakes.
 * This is Universal's thirteenth video game adaptation. The first is Street Fighter (1994), the second is Doom (2005), the third is Pokémon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior (2008), the fourth is Geoshea Theft Auto (2009), the fifth is Pokémon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior (2009), the sixth is Pokémon: Zoroark: Master of Illusions (2010), the seventh is Pokémon: White: Victini and Zekrom (2011), the eighth is Pokémon: Black: Victini and Reshiram (2011), the ninth is Geoshea Theft Auto 2 (2012), the tenth is 666 The Street (2012), the eleventh is Ico (2015) and the twelve is Warcraft (2016).
 * The film will be released in Spain, Mexico and Argentina on April 22, 2016.
 * The film will be released in Japan earlier than the US and UK.
 * The Minion opening logo will be styled after the cel-shaded style from the game.
 * The film will be Miley Cyrus' first film released by Universal Pictures.

Cameos

 * The minion from Despicable Me will make a cameo appearance during the outtakes.