In 2015, rumours roiled that there was a live-action The Legend of Zelda Netflix show in development. It would have been treading along the lines of "Game of Thrones for a family audience," but Nintendo never confirmed that it existed. Now, we know that the show really was in the works, but Nintendo cancelled it once leaks had sprung.
I think I could speak for most people when I say that surprises are exciting. I'm usually the surpriser, not the surprisee, and pulling the strings to help a plan come together is super satisfying. On occasion, they'll suss out your machinations, and you'll have to give the game away earlier than expected. Still, there's nothing overly wrong about that: they'll know you were thinking about them, and they'll be able to tell you if any part of your carefully laid plans would have gone astray.
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When we got wind of a possible live-action The Legend of Zelda show that would have been in production with Netflix, Nintendo threw the Bokoblin out with the bathwater. They could have shrugged off the claims, calling them preposterous, while secretly working away on what would have been a golden goose for both companies. Nay, apparently Nintendo pulled the plug immediately, corroborating its statement at the time. Satoru Iwata told Time that the reports of a live-action Zelda show were "not based on correct information." That was five years ago, but it's funny to think that today, Nintendo is very interested in expanding its IPs into new media.
It's disheartening to realise that we did dip out on a whole TV show set in Hyrule though. Who would have played Link? Who would have played Zelda? Most importantly, who would have played the postman? We could try our hands at casting these iconic characters, but first, we've got to turn back time to 2015. The Divergent series proved that Shailene Woodley had the chops for the action genre as well as down-to-earth TV shows. She would have gotten the role of Zelda, I imagine.
As for Link... Channing Tatum. Hear me out. By 2015, Tatum had shown us that he is a versatile actor, beginning with movies like She's The Man and Step Up 2, moving into comedy with 21 Jump Street and This is the End, and saving the United States in White House Down. Crucially, it's his role in Jupiter Ascending that bags him the part of the Legendary Hero. In Caine Wise, he exemplified the character of a strong and capable warrior who is content to let Jupiter discover her destiny and support her along the way. I rest my case.
Featured Image Credit: NintendoTopics: News, The Legend of Zelda