Nintendo's Legend of Zelda is one of the most beloved video game franchises of all time. Studio Ghibli, on the other hand, is the creator of some of the most beloved animated films of all time, including Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro and many, many more.
If the two Japanese greats combined forces to make a Legend of Zelda animated film, it might look something like this.
In a short trailer that is almost too beautiful for words, animator Matt Vince imagines just what a Studio Ghibli Legend of Zelda film may look like. In fact, there are no words spoken in the trailer. Instead, the video takes viewers on an animated tour of Hyrule, as a stunning Legend of Zelda piano piece by Kyle Landry plays in the background. Plenty of iconic Legend of Zelda game locations are shown, including the great Deku Tree, Hyrule Field, the Temple of Time, Kakariko village and more. Each location is brought to life in a breathtaking style.
Then, at the very end, comes the hero himself: Link, riding on horseback across the countryside, as the words "The Legend of Zelda: An Animated Motion Picture" appear in the night sky. It's simple, to the point and practically perfect in every way.
Which begs the question: would Nintendo ever consider doing something like the video below? The company has expressed interest in adapting their properties for television and film, with rumors of a live-action Legend of Zelda Netflix show even appearing not so long ago.
As cool as a live-action show starring Link would be, something about Studio Ghibli's animation style feels perfectly at home in the fantasy universe Link and Zelda call home. Perhaps it's because the Studio Ghibli look isn't all that different from promotional images for the original Legend of Zelda game. Many of the games themselves even adopt a more cartoony, animated look, as seen in entries like Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.
Fans may never see a feature-length Nintendo film that looks like the one above, but it seems a given that sooner or later the company will try its hand (once again) on both the big and small screen. When it does, here's hoping the production team has watched Matt Vince's amazing work.
