The idea of a Ghibli-inspired “Legend of Zelda” movie is very cool. That being said, it ignores the fact that we already had a Ghibli “Zelda” movie, and it was called “Princess Mononoke.” That movie features a story featuring a giant monster, a princess, and an archer who teams up with her. The movie ended up influencing the game, with “Tears of the Kingdom,” the latest “Zelda” gave, even giving Link a messed up magical arm just like the corrupted arm of Ashitaka in “Princess Mononoke.”
As for Wes Ball’s aspirations to make a live-action movie that feels like a Ghibli movie, that’s as exciting as it is impossible to even imagine. The Ghibli aesthetic, and also their tone, is not easy to replicate in live-action — but it is not impossible. We’ve seen Ghibli movies successfully adapted to the stage with “Spirited Away” and “My Neighbor Totoro” productions.
The key is not necessarily in the grand vistas or elaborate creature designs. The key lies in the live-action “Legend of Zelda” movie following Hayao Miyazaki’s use of “ma” or negative space, to avoid filling the screen with stuff or trying to do something big and exciting every five seconds. “Princess Mononoke” feels epic in scope and action, but it also takes its time and knows when to pull back. If Wes Ball is to make a successful “The Legend of Zelda” movie, it should not be like “Lord of the Rings,” but like “Princess Mononoke.” That he seems to know this is already a great sign. And hey, “Kong: Skull Island” already managed to get there, so why can’t “Zelda?”