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The Legend Of Zelda Once Had A CGI Movie In Development

There’s been a fair few attempts at fan-made movies inspired by Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda, most recently a documentary posted on Kickstarter a few months back, but at one point there was a professional attempt at such a film. Sadly, the film didn’t quite reach its full potential and was rejected by Imagi Animation Studios following a pitch reel.

Make sure you check out the CGI trailer above, or alternatively you can watch it over on Adam Holmes’ website – who posted the CGI movie as part of his online animation portfolio. The pitch reel was first proposed to Imagi in 2007 – most known for the TMNT and Astroboy films back in 2007 and 2009 – and was both shot and edited by Adam Holmes. It’s an interesting preview that’s for sure, but let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in.

100 thoughts on “The Legend Of Zelda Once Had A CGI Movie In Development”

          1. but overall i dont really like how they did the animation, it looks more like a cartoon series than a movie. And omg Zelda, Ganon, and Link…. they look well…..no offence… horrible! id even prefer skywards sword animation than this one, but hoping for a Twilight Princess type cgi. (if there ever will be a movie)
            But im glad directors/producers are interested in making some sort of iconic video game movie. :)

            1. This is a proof-of-concept trailer, not the final product.

              Of course it won’t look as great as in the games!

      1. for me, if nintendo was considering it, am seriously glad they didnt cos it looks a pile of crap. cheap animation, looks homemade if ought.

    1. Yeah, I mean, if it were a professional studio and they were going off actual character designs. I agree. I’m guessing this is being done with a heavy amount of templates 3D objects. Characters likely using Elf type models. So for not being a major 3D studio, It’s not bad.

  1. Looks like it would’ve been another generic kids movie. Glad it wasn’t made. Looks like Zelda: The Clone Wars or some crap like that.

  2. WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?! THIS LOOKS FUCKING AMAZING!!! I THINK EVERYTHING LOOKED GREAT!!!! WHEN IT ENDED I GOT PISSED BECAUSE I WANTED TO SEE MORE!!!!

      1. You’re right about that. When I saw him I thought he was someone else, but I think he still looked cool though.

  3. haterz. Wind Waker. hate. Devil May Cry reboot. hate. Arkham Origins. hate. Killer Instinct. hate. Strider. hate. People just love to hate!

  4. This looks horrible. It looks waaaaaaay too classical, like it takes all its identity out of Zelda and just puts a green hood on a basic medieval animation non-specific hero.

  5. Angry butthurt zelda fan who's played every single zelda game including CDI's

    THIS LOOKS HORRIFIC. WHAT AN EMBARRASSMENT TO THE ZELDA SERIES.

  6. The art syle could have used a few tweaks Ganon especially. Oh and why does everything have to be filtered through a urine coloured lens filter?

    1. Your kidding right? Live action Zelda is a terriable idea. It’ll just be like every midevile movie. At least with animation it can go further.

    2. ._. I think Ghibli needs to make an anime movie of LOZ, I honestly dont wanna see a live action, Im sorry but just no

  7. You dont just turn Zelda into movie. Its not gonna work, focus of Zelda isnt story like cgi movie called uncharted with its Nathan drake, Indiana Jones wannabe. Zelda is about exploring,completing sidequests,finding hidden items, you just dont turn it into a movie and ugly lookin like this. Yes Zelda has story but its not the focus of adventure, because its adventure that you overcome yourself.

    1. I agree, I think that story could be broken up into 2 or 3 parts. There would be a running story which is the main story thrust but each movie would tell flash back story of each main character. Link, Zelda, and Ganon.

  8. Well it was never even approved by Nintendo… Even if Imagi Animation Studio approved it, I doubt Ninty would. 💋

  9. Sorry…But some of you can never be satisfied. This has a great concept with an amazing style of both animation and design. Not the best I’ve seen, but it still holds really well. If you showed this to someone who wasent familiar with the Zelda series I’m sure it would catch their interest.

    1. Yeah but its a disrespect towards Zelda series, you just dont turn it into a movie. Its not Tombraider for gods sake we are talkin about THE LEGEND OF ZELDA here.

    2. The “great concept” I’m guessing is the Zelda video game franchise becoming a feature film, but how you can call the art style “amazing” is beyond me. It is definitively not amazing; it is in fact generic. Generic means it is derivative of–in hopes of benefiting from their successes–other artists’ work. Nothing in this demo appears original. Like, objectively speaking.

      I’m not trying to be rude or anything–your comment just really took me by surprise.

    3. No no no no! It is good that this movie was NEVER made, because it looks like they would have ruined the Zelda story. I just don’t think Zelda translates into film adaptation very well. So I hope a Zelda movie is NEVER made unless it sticks to the story close to 100% 💋

  10. I think it could work both as a movie and a running TV series, however I would hope that a different film studio or animation studio were involved. Amagi did TMNT and that was meh but then again that was years ago so their work could have theoretically improved, well not with this pitch tho’.

  11. I think a Legend of Zelda movie would be awesome.

    The animation in this WAS good, I just don’t think it fits LOZ. Something more like Twilight Princess would make for an amazing movie if it was done right.

    They’d have to try very very hard though.

    And Ganon…well…I just hope to never see him like that again o.o

  12. Anybody remember the LOZ cartoon that ran on the Super Mario Bros. Super Show? Yeah, we don’t need more of that, and I don’t have reason to believe any Zelda movie would ever be any good. But I would love to see a (good) movie based on Metroid.

  13. For a little trailer, I thought it was pretty good.

    If it was a real movie, it would obviously need some touching up (especially on Ganon), but I thought that Link and Zelda looked nice.

    I’d be perfectly fine with this, with a little more polishing of course.

    1. It’s kind of disappointing to see people spout things like “This doesn’t feel like Zelda at all” or such like that. Why can’t people accept things with a more open mind?

      I’ve liked the series since I first picked up OoT back in 1999 or so, and I personally enjoy it when new things are done with a series as long as they’re entertaining. If this movie was made and it was entertaining, what’s the problem?

      So much pessimism these days.

          1. No, but it does if it wants to feel like what it aims to be–in this case “legendary” and “Zelda.” Twilight Princess was absolutely good, but it was very much inspired by Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings, and that rubbed some of us the wrong way. (Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit, by the way, feels way too much like his The Lord of the Rings, and that’s the problem I have with his new trilogy, even though I’m going to watch all of it.)

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  15. I think you may have your info mixed up. Imagi pitched the movie to Nintendo. Nintendo passed on it, not Imagi. Don’t forget people this is TEST footage for a pitch. This is not how the final animation would look. I think Nintendo needs to wake up and start using their IPs to their full potential. They need to treat their other IPs like they do Pokemon. It would be awesome to have animated movies based on Mario, Zelda and other Nintendo franchises. If they exploited their IPs a bit they might not be in such dire financial ruin. Please give Zelda the legacy it deserves!

  16. I’d prefer it if they made a live-action movie rather than an animated one, but that’s just me. Having said that, I’m not much for the looks of Ganon, Link and Zelda in the trailer, even though the concept is interesting.

  17. me like zelda very much me from Pakistan me very smelly me like you like want cup of tea me make cup of tea for you

    we watch zelda do you have whitey girlfriend me like whitey girlfriend want cup of tea me like zelda

  18. It doesn’t feel like Zelda at all. Too generic (that doesn’t mean Zelda isn’t, but still) and dull. Designs are way over the top, especially prettyboy Ganon and Link. Zelda looks like the typical, boring DW character.

    The fanmade Majora’s Mask trailer was better.

  19. Funny how even in this short preview/trailer, Link and Zelda didn’t speak. Was the whole film going to be like that? Too bad it got cancelled. I’ve been wanting to see a Zelda movie for YEARS. Preferably with real actors and not CGI. But whatever.

  20. The animation was not my cup of tea. It looked neither like the newer art or the older artwork. It was mostly the FACES that bothered me. And why is Link an emo kid?

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