The Super Mario Bros. Movie was a box office smash when it was released in 2023. It grossed $1.36 billion worldwide, making it one of the most successful movies of the past five years, not to mention one of the best video game adaptations ever. It did so well that a sequel is on its way for an April 2026 release. It stars Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan Michael Key, Seth Rogen, and more, many of whom will likely return for the sequel.
In an attempt to capitalize on the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie and to quiet the noise from wanting fans, The Legend of Zelda is being adapted into a film as well. Another popular Nintendo property, The Legend of Zelda, has actually been around longer than Mario and Luigi. But there hasn’t been a big screen adaptation until now, with one scheduled for 2027. With the recent announcement of the lead roles being cast, it’s time to think about how this could be a huge movie for Sony Pictures, which is producing the film.
But will the upcoming Legend of Zelda adaptation be as big as The Super Mario Bros. Movie was for Universal? That’s doubtful for a few reasons.
9 ‘The Legend of Zelda’ Is a Much More Complex Story
The Legend of Zelda first came to the NES gaming system in 1986. Since then, there have been 22 original games in the series across different gaming platforms. The general story features Princess Zelda, the Princess of Hyrule, needing to be saved by Link from the evil Ganon. Link must go through dungeons, temples, villages, puzzles, and a lot of monsters to get to these battles with Ganon. While the Super Mario Bros. games also feature a similar storyline, one where Mario must save Princess Peach from Bowser, there are more tangential storylines in Zelda.
Among the 22 games, the stories have changed, as have the time period and setting. Because of the magic involved and the time-traveling nature of the stories, Zelda feels like an immortal story that can go on forever with tweaks that open up new worlds. Therefore, it will be hard to encapsulate a singular story in a live-action film that is going to satisfy fans of the entire series. Some players prefer one Zelda game to others and, while the same can be said for Mario games, there are less games among the original storyline to choose from.
8 The Themes Are Darker and Heavier
Some of the themes of Zelda games are legitimate life and death scenarios. There is a Zelda game where you must complete the game before the moon crashes into the planet, killing everyone. There won’t be that much gravity in a Mario game. Even if Bowser wants to rule the kingdom, it still feels like less dire of a situation for those around them.
For anyone who has played games in both of the series, even the color schemes are vastly different. There aren’t as many sunny days in Hyrule than there are in the Mushroom Kingdom. Not that fans are expecting them to be compared apples to apples, but Zelda is going to be inherently filled with heavier and darker moments.
7 It Will Be More Violent
There’s no skirting around this fact. The Legend of Zelda features villains and monsters that Link is trying to kill. While Mario can jump on a Goomba, it doesn’t carry the same weight as Link slashing an Undead with the Master Sword. Part of the gameplay of Zelda games is to do all that you can to overcome obstacles and advance in the puzzles. That often includes taking care of the enemies in your way by any means necessary.
This can include bombs, magical weapons, swords, hammers, and bows and arrows. Mario, on occasion, can shoot fireballs or is invincible and can run through people. If not, he’s kicking and punching. Again, this isn’t something that fans don’t know already. But it is something that has to be mentioned because of the ratings system.
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6 ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ Is More Targeted Towards Kids
Because of the lighter themes and the more colorful characters, the Mario franchise has always been more targeted towards family gaming. This can be seen by the number of multiplayer games that involve Mario. Mario Kart, Mario Tennis, Mario Golf, and Mario Party are all examples of games that are meant to be played with multiple people. The characters in the original games are the characters in those other games, showing the wide appeal that Nintendo has used to market them.
The Legend of Zelda has a lot of characters, almost certainly more than those in the Mario world. But most of them are darker and deal with more adult themes than anything in Mario. The Super Mario Bros. Movie was marketed as a family film and targeted at children. The Legend of Zelda would be doing itself a disservice if it went down that route.
5 There Are Many Characters in Zelda
This isn’t a make-or-break fact, but Zelda has a cavalcade of characters and villains. There are creatures, monsters, beings, even characters that are trees and leaves. It’s not that it is impossible to introduce a lot of characters in one film, but there are upwards of 100 characters across the stories. Depending on what storyline Wes Ball and Sony Pictures want to follow, it gives the audience a more focused look at who is involved in the story.
Universal did a great job of “introducing” characters that most people knew already. But they didn’t even introduce Yoshi in this one, as they took their time to showcase certain characters initially. It wouldn’t be easy to do the games justice by trying to introduce that many characters. But, in turn, it’s hard to tell the story of Zelda without highlighting a good number of characters.
4 Link and Zelda Aren’t as Widely Recognized as Mario and Luigi
There’s no denying that Mario and Luigi are Nintendo’s most recognizable characters. The Super Mario Bros. are a global phenomenon. Not to say Link and Zelda aren’t, but they simply aren’t as well-known as the plumbing brothers. In fact, one of the most common misconceptions of the game is that Link, the hero in the story, is actually named Zelda. The two beings are of the same species, as they do look similar, so it’s hard to tell them apart for some people.
That being said, Mario and Luigi are easily differentiated, not only from their faces, but from their different clothing. If parents are taking their kids to see the film, it’s an easy sell for even the least knowledgeable gaming fans to bring people to see a movie about Mario, Luigi, and Donkey Kong, compared to a movie about Link and Zelda.
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3 ‘The Legend of Zelda’ Will Be Live Action
One of the biggest points of comparison between the two films is that Mario is an animated film, and Zelda is going to be a live-action film. It’s easier to sell an animated movie as a family-friendly film. This is a big deal because it opens up younger audiences to the film. Films that are movies for young adults and adults, rather than children, can do very well. But movies that are made for children can do huge numbers at the box office.
Obviously, it depends on what the film is. The Super Mario Bros. Movie had Illumination Studios behind it. The studio that made the Despicable Me franchise had made some of the biggest children’s movies in the past 10-15 years. It will be interesting to see how Sony Pictures markets the film and if they are going to focus it towards children or not. It should be noted that there was a Super Mario Bros. live action film made years ago. Those who don’t remember it are probably better off.
2 Super Mario Has Traditionally Been More Commercially Successful Than Zelda
The Super Mario Bros. franchise has been a bigger moneymaker for Nintendo over the years. In fact, it is the top-selling franchise in Nintendo’s history. It has sold over 100 million more units than the second-place franchise, which is Pokémon, not even Zelda. So, there’s a long way to go for Zelda to catch up to Mario.
While game units are not the same as movie tickets, there is a correlation, and that is brand recognition. As stated above, Mario is more recognizable than Link or Zelda. Nintendo has marketed the brothers better than any other franchise that it has. This includes Pokémon, which has been another global phenomenon, but one that started 11 years after Mario.
1 Mario Is Always Nintendo’s Number One Focus
Why not put your money behind the biggest franchise that you own? Nintendo has done so by helping to market Mario more than any of its other franchises. People all over the globe know about Mario in one way or another. Not to say that Zelda isn’t known globally, but it’s not on the same level, and it probably never will be.
The Legend of Zelda movie should aim to market itself toward young adults and try and bring in as much money as it can from older millennials and Gen X viewers. That is the demographic that grew up with the games and has likely passed on their love for their games with their kids now, through systems like the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. But, those people also probably played Mario games and aim to do the same for their kids (this author included).
