The Legend of Zelda receives Studio Ghibli makeover in stunning film adaptation

Once upon a time, adapting video games for film and television would’ve caused the fandom in question to let out a collective sigh.

Fair to say, these adaptations didn’t have the best of reputations.

That’s changed in recent years though, with The Last of Us, Fallout, Twisted Metal, The Super Mario Bros movie, and Five Nights At Freddy’s leading the charge.

There are plenty more related projects on the way including a Ghost of Tsushima film and God of War TV series on Prime Video.

The Legend of Zelda is also finally set to be adapted, but fans are dubious about the current vision.

All we know is that the beloved franchise will be turned into a live-action film - and yes, fans are already hotly debating casting.

If you’re sitting there thinking, ‘It would suit animation better,’ that’s exactly what’s been plaguing most of us.

As it turns out though, an animated The Legend of Zelda project is already out there and while it may be unofficial, it’s also positively delightful.

ICYMI: The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is set to launch later this year.

YouTuber RwanLink is behind the project. The creator posed the question, ‘What would Ocarina of Time look like envisioned in the style of Studio Ghibli?’

I can tell you that the answer is bloody gorgeous.

RwanLink launched a short film trailer to celebrate Ocarina of Time’s 25th anniversary showing Link arriving in and exploring Hyrule Castle Town.

I could sit here and explain just how perfectly RwanLink captured the essence of Studio Ghibli’s signature art style but I’ll let you admire it for yourself below.

Following on from this, RwanLink revealed that the project has morphed into a Ghibli-style remake project.

You can now view 18-minutes of gameplay footage of Link exploring this Ghibli-esque version of Hyrule created by RwanLunk in Unreal Engine 5 which, yes, is just as stunning as the original trailer.

Alongside his full-time job, RwanLink put 600 hours into the project to create those 18 minutes of work.

It’s a tremendous effort - and we can only keep our fingers crossed that additional instalments are on the way.

“You realise this is a trillion times better than the Zelda movie is going to be? You’re the hero we don’t deserve,” wrote one viewer.

This is a must-watch for any Zelda fan.