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Updated

: Jul 28, 2026 9:41am UTC

Link actor Benjamin Evan Ainsworth has discussed preparing for Nintendo's upcoming live-action The Legend of Zelda movie — and said he was too young to play Breath of the Wild when it originally debuted.

Ainsworth is currently 17 years old, while Breath of the Wild originally launched for Switch in 2017 — meaning he would have been just eight years old at the time.

"I remember vividly when Breath of the Wild came out — and it might show my age — but I remember being quite young at the time when it came out, and so I didn't have a Switch at the time," Ainsworth told GamesRadar. "And so, I was watching gamers play it, and watching playthroughs, essentially."

While still a teenager, Ainsworth already has a string of high-profile projects under his belt — such as Netflix horror The Haunting of Bly Manor, CBC sitcom Son of a Critch, and his recent addition to the cast of HBO's House of the Dragon.

While Ainsworth may not have played Breath of the Wild a decade ago, the actor has said he's now a Zelda fan has caught himself up on the "history" of the character and series in preparation for his role. (Hopefully Nintendo has given him a Switch 2?)

"Upon being fortunate enough to play this role, such an iconic character, going back and realizing the 40 years of legacy and history, and the varied tones, the varied stories, the varied renditions and vocal performances of this character as well," Ainsworth continued. "Yeah, I'm a big fan, and just really excited, because it was an awesome thing to shoot. New Zealand is a wonderful place. But yeah, can't say too much more."

Nintendo has kept many details of its Zelda movie under-wraps, with no word on its story, setting or characters beyond Link and Zelda, the latter of whom will be played by Bo Bragason. Filming in New Zealand has now wrapped, though some fans got a sneaky glimpse — and believe they spotted Succession actress Dichen Lachman in costume as Zelda's aide Impa. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes director Wes Ball is helming the film, and has spoken previously about wanting to make a "serious" and "grounded" adaptation that feels "real" to audiences.

With less than a year to go until the movie's April 30, 2027 launch date, fans expect to hear much more about the film soon — perhaps this fall, when Nintendo gets around to marking the Zelda franchise's 40th anniversary with its The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remaster.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social