Fans have dreamed about it for decades, but Nintendo has now cooled expectations in a very clear way. Company president Shuntaro Furukawa has addressed the possibility of an anime adaptation for The Legend of Zelda – and it sounds like the 40th anniversary won’t be getting one.

To mark the 40th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo already has an exciting live-action adaptation in development, and we’ve even learned a few key details – including the lead actors. But ever since the strange little legacy of the 1989 animated series, fans have kept hoping for a proper anime version to finally become real. There have been passionate fan efforts like Castle Town and even AI-driven pitches such as “The Legend of Zelda: AI,” but nothing official has ever materialized. If there was still any reason to believe Nintendo might go for it, president Shuntaro Furukawa has now largely crushed that hope.

Nintendo Isn’t Looking at Anime Right Now

The Japanese company is currently fully committed to expanding its biggest franchises through film adaptations. Super Mario is already looking ahead to Super Mario Galaxy, and Link and Zelda are also preparing for their own cinematic debut. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume that, with anime audiences having tripled in recent years (based on official Netflix figures), services like Netflix could eventually pursue animated versions of Nintendo properties – especially after success stories like Castlevania, Devil May Cry, and Tekken. But at least for now, that doesn’t appear to be part of Nintendo’s plans.

Furukawa discussed the topic in an interview with Japanese outlet Kyoto Shumbin, where he shared a few telling details about how the company sees its adaptation strategy. According to him, reaching the point of a full anime adaptation is not very likely: “It would be quite difficult to get to that point.” Nintendo’s leadership is currently prioritizing its expansion into film, and they frame this push as a way to “increase the visibility of the characters beyond their games and reach people even in regions where consoles are not yet widespread.” Still, the executive didn’t entirely slam the door forever – provided that any future anime could “create distinctive and exclusive works for Nintendo,” as noted by CBR.

Even though The Legend of Zelda feels like an aesthetic match made in heaven for a high-end anime adaptation, for now it remains exactly that: a dream. Fans will have to settle for the live-action version expected to arrive in 2027.

Forrás: 3djuegos