Zelda director is aiming for "live-action Miyazaki" and I'm looking for dry water
When pigs fly, etc.
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The director of the upcoming Legend of Zelda film is apparently aiming for a "live-action Miyazaki" kind of vibe.
Hayao Miyazaki is easily one of the most acclaimed animation directors ever. There are few directors that have a catalogue as extensive as his in animation, in no small part due to how long he's been doing this (and his refusal to truly retire), and several of his works are regarded as some of the best animated movies of all time. They're also so highly regarded because of the way they utilise animation, pulling off moments that stick with viewers for years; so it isn't a surprise that Wes Ball, director of the live-action Zelda film, wants to draw from Miyazaki, as he recently shared in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
According to EW, Ball describes his plans for the Zelda film as "this awesome fantasy-adventure movie that isn’t like Lord of the Rings, it’s its own thing. I've always said, I would love to see a live-action Miyazaki. That wonder and whimsy that he brings to things, I would love to see something like that." Here's the thing though: "live-action Miyazaki" as a statement is a bit of an oxymoron.
Miyazaki's films work so well because they're animated, and live-action versions of them just wouldn't hit the same level. His films aren't all just quiet longing shots, they have plenty of moments of lightly accentuated human emotions, hair standing up on its end in ways you just can't do to real people unless you electrocute them (or, more ethically, use CGI). Besides, the best Zelda movie has already been made, why do we need an official live-action one?
Ball goes on to hype up the movie, talking about his own connection to the Zelda series, saying, "My whole life has led up to this moment. I grew up on Zelda and it is the most important property, I think, that’s untapped IP, if you will. So we very much are working hard to do something. We’re not just trying to do it because we can. We want to make something really special." The point about untapped IP is a bit of an odd (and kind of gross) comment considering just how popular the Zelda series is, and how many games it has, but that's Hollywood I guess?
Currently Ball is working on Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes which is due out next year, and he notes in the interview that he'll take a rest after that before moving onto Zelda. Work on the script for Zelda has already started, but Ball isn't sure of whether this current draft or the next one is the one that will be put to screen. Any which way, the Zelda movie is still a ways away, so enjoy your time in a live-action-Zelda-free world while you still can.