Sam Neill might be gone, but the acting titan unknowingly lined up not one but two massive movies for after his passing. We already knew he was set to appear in Godzilla X Kong: Supernova, set for release March 26, 2027, and now it seems he’ll also appear a month later in the Nintendo adaptation The Legend of Zelda. That could potentially make Zelda his final movie.
The news came from Deadline which, after the casting of Uli Latukefu as Ganondorf broke, revealed that Neill will also be in the film, along with Dichen Lachman (Severance) and Yvonne Strahovski (The Handmaid’s Tale). There’s no official word on who Neill or Strahovski are playing, but Lachman is likely playing Impa, a trusted friend of Princess Zelda (which was heavily hinted at based on leaked spy photos).
If you had to guess, though, Neill would be pretty perfect as the King of Hyrule, father of Princess Zelda. It’s rarely a large role in the gaming franchise, but we don’t know exactly what Legend of Zelda story director Wes Ball is telling. We do assume, though, that Zelda’s role is significantly beefed up and she’s not just an object for Link to find. And, if that’s the case, her relationship with her father being more prevalent would make sense. But that’s all just speculation.
Set for release on April 30, 2027, The Legend of Zelda stars Benjamin Evan Ainsworth and Bo Bragason as Link and Zelda, respectively, along with Latukefu as Ganon. io9 reached out to Sony about the Ganon casting only to be told the company wouldn’t comment on any casting for the film, so no comment here either.
The Legend of Zelda already had immense pressure on it, being the first movie adaptation of arguably one of the most beloved and sacred video game franchises in history. And now it has to bring a close to the career of one of the best actors of recent times, too? Good luck, Link. We’re pulling for you.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
