Summary
ALegend of Zeldamovie is set for release in 2027 and will officially be helmed byMaze RunnerDirector Wes Ball, as announced by Sony Pictures. It’s possible the film is in capable hands with the ascending filmmaker, considering his past works. While Ball is no Christopher Nolan, he has seen his fair share of successes. His short filmography ranges from the lows ofMaze Runner: Death Cure(2018) to the highs of 2024’sKingdom of the Planet of the Apes. He’s also made attempts that never got a fair shot at either outcome, such as 2018’s canceledMouse Guardmovie concept,as pointed out by Reddit user herewego199209.
TheMouse Guardtest footage was truly striking, and it seems a shame the film was never fully produced. The visuals found in Ball’s proof-of-concept clip for the movie are reminiscent of the unique sense of adventure associated with theLegend of Zeldaseries. Echoes of the Kokiri Forest inOcarina of Timeand the villages ofBreath of the Wildreverberate throughoutMouse Guard’s test footage. There’s a chance Ball has a spiritual successor on his hands with Link, and with it, a chance to redeem his forgone passion project.
The Legend of Zelda Director’s Mouse Guard Test Footage
Wes Ball’s canceled take on the bestselling comic shows he has the chops for The Legend of Zelda
Mouse Guardis a New York Times bestselling comic written and illustrated by David Peterson. InMouse Guard, mice survive against the perils of harsh environments and predators like most prey, except these mice have swords. TheMouse Guardwas formed to escort mice from one village to another safe from harm.
In an interview with Deadline, Ball spoke about his $170 million film that was canceled byDisneyjust two weeks before production. He said he might have been in trouble for posting the estimated $20 million test footage from the film. “Those budget numbers always get fuzzy,” Ball said, although his next comments reinforced the inflated initial development costs. “We had an outside financier committing to half the budget, and we qualified for the L.A. tax credit.”
He added there was “difficulty” in trying to produce a lower-cost version of the movie, especially after all the “top-shelf prep work” that had already gone into the demo. The craftsmanship he references in the interview is on full display in the following clip from the shelved project.
How Does Mouse Guard Relate To The Legend Of Zelda?
For starters, a mouse with a sword and green cape facing foes of fantastical origin in a forest setting is almost too on the nose to speculate about. For the sake of adventure, though, fans can make plenty of connectionswhen exploring the Mouse Guard test footage and comparing it to the kingdom of Hyrule.
The wild corridors in the opening scene ofMouse Guard’s demo, for long-timeZeldafans, are possibly indicative of the Kokiri Forest, the opening area ofThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.For more recent fans, the sameMouse Guardsetting evokes the Korok Forest ofBreath of the Wild- which can be seen in theBreath of the Wildtrailer.
Moreover, the sense of discovery in Wes Ball’s test footage displays a sense of wonder and whimsical fantasy that seems to be ripped lovingly from Zelda’s playbook. For instance, at one point in theMouse Guarddemo, the hero faces off with a towering turtle, which can be considered somewhat of a fantasy staple. Still, the likes of which can also be seen inThe Legend of Zelda.The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Maskfans might associateMouse Guard’s giant turtle with the same character found in The Great Bay who disguises himself as a small island.
It’s also interesting that Ball decided to produceMouse Guardusing a video game engine, as seen in the clip. He remarked in 2019 that there would still be a future for the film as its source material is evergreen. “This film will be as relevant in five years as it is now. I have faith in that and maybe the attention [from posting the pre-viz footage] will inspire someone to take this on,” Ball said. Well, that was more than 5 years ago now, andthoughThe Legend of Zeldawill be live action, it looks like a spiritual successor toMouse Guardwill officially see the light of day.
Hopes For Mouse Guard and The Legend of Zelda Movie
Ball said all he wants is to see the audience in theaters react to all the incredible things he and his crew dreamed up. He’ll surely see that in essence withThe Legend of Zelda, as fans are almost sure to flock to theaters and watch the film as long as its reviews aren’tas awful as 2024’sBorderlands. IfKingdom of the Planet of the Apes' praised efforts weren’t enough assurance forZeldafans wary of Wes Ball, Mouse Guard’s test footage proves he has a passion forZelda’s brand of adventure.
As forMouse Guarditself, Ball says the test footage still exists on a hard drive and is ready to quest whenever it’s picked up again.
