The beloved Nintendo video game series The Legend Of Zelda may be getting its own live-action Netflix show, according to one poorly sourced blog post from The Wall Street Journal. Apparently “a person familiar with the matter” claims Netflix is in the early stages of adapting the games into a high fantasy action series about an ordinary boy named Link who sets off on a quest to rescue a princess named Zelda. Although no writers are attached yet, WSJ’s gaming Deep Throat claims Netflix is working closely on the concept with Nintendo, which has released more than 15 Zelda games since 1987. Nintendo previously signed off on an animated The Legend Of Zelda TV show back in 1989 (it ran for only one season), but ever since the release of the disastrous Super Mario Bros. big screen adaptation in 1993, the Japanese company has been notoriously protective of its intellectual property.
While Netflix declined to comment, the mysterious source describes the series as “Games Of Thrones for a family audience.” More than anything, that calls into question the validity of this unknown informant, as pretty much the only thing setting Game Of Thrones apart from hundreds of other fantasy epics is its decidedly adult content. Why not just reference The Lord Of The Rings? Even the WSJ seems to realize there’s not much to go on here, noting, “It’s also possible that Netflix or Nintendo will kill the project before it gets off the ground.” Still, until Netflix and/or Nintendo officially squashes the rumor, fans can enjoy imagining how the streaming service might turn Link’s chicken-fighting and pot-breaking into a riveting season of television.