The Legend of Zelda film, to be directed by Wes Ball, will be release in March 2027. Photo: Nintendo
The Legend of Zelda film, to be directed by Wes Ball, will be release in March 2027. Photo: Nintendo
The Legend of Zelda film, to be directed by Wes Ball, will be release in March 2027. Photo: Nintendo
The Legend of Zelda film, to be directed by Wes Ball, will be release in March 2027. Photo: Nintendo

After Legend of Zelda, five Nintendo franchises that should head to the big screen


Faisal Al Zaabi
  • English
  • Arabic

The big screen adaptation of The Legend of Zelda, one of Nintendo’s most beloved video game series, now has a release date: March 26, 2027.

Details were first unveiled in November 2023 by series creator Shigeru Miyamoto. The film will be directed by Wes Ball, who is known for Maze Runner and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

The highly-anticipated adaptation comes after the huge success of The Super Mario Bros Movie, which made more than $1.3 billion worldwide after its release in 2023.

Nintendo has many other beloved characters and video games in its vast library. Here are five that should get the big screen treatment after The Legend of Zelda.

Metroid

Metroid was first released in 1987. Photo: Nintendo
Metroid was first released in 1987. Photo: Nintendo

The first game in the Metroid series was released in 1987 on the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America. Since then, it has become a series with a rabid fanbase that follows each prospective new game with unbridled excitement.

The game follows Samus Aran, a female bounty hunter who dons a power suit that enables her to shoot energy projectiles. In her post-apocalyptic world, Aran faces off against the titular Metroids, a jelly-like predatory species that feed on life energy.

The latest game in the series, Metroid Dread, was released in 2021 and sold more three million units, proving just how popular the series still is. The alien worlds of the game and its brave protagonist would make for an exciting film adaptation.

Animal Crossing

Animal Crossing was particularly popular during the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo: Nintendo
Animal Crossing was particularly popular during the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo: Nintendo

Previously a cult favourite, Animal Crossing became a global hit during the first months of the Covid-19 pandemic with the release of New Horizons in 2020. The game sold more than 47 million units, making it one of the most popular games on the Nintendo Switch.

In it, players create a character then move to an island which houses several animals. The objective is to clean up the island, build houses and places of leisure for the animals and have fun beautifying the place.

An Animal Crossing animated film seems inevitable as the popularity of the series continues to grow.

Kirby

Kirby first appeared in 1992. Photo: Nintendo
Kirby first appeared in 1992. Photo: Nintendo

Not quite as popular as Super Mario with non-gamers, Kirby is still a beloved character with many fun games since his first appearance in 1992 on the Game Boy. The pink blob can fly around, punch and swallow his enemies whole to absorb their powers.

Kirby’s popularity really skyrocketed after his inclusion in the Super Smash Bros games in which he became a go-to character to choose for novices and experts alike. A Kirby film would probably be a fun animated production that could feature other Nintendo characters too.

Splatoon

Splatoon is a fun painting game. Photo: Nintendo
Splatoon is a fun painting game. Photo: Nintendo

One of Nintendo’s more recent successes, Splatoon came out in 2015. The third-person shooting game in which two teams battle it out to paint a level with their team’s colours. Some characters have powers such as transformation or more powerful tools of painting.

Splatoon is very much Nintendo’s cute answer to the rising popularity of shooting games such Call of Duty and others. There’s no killing or harming in Splatoon, just a fun experience of spraying paint. There have now been three games in the series as it continues to grow and cement its place in the Nintendo library.

The style lends itself to an animated film adaptation which would be energetic and funny.

Star Fox

Star Fox was a rail shooting game that evolved into a flying game. Photo: Nintendo
Star Fox was a rail shooting game that evolved into a flying game. Photo: Nintendo

A somewhat forgotten character is Star Fox, once one of Nintendo’s most famous during the N64 era. The character had seven mainline releases between 1993 and 2017.

Star Fox is primarily a rail shooting game that evolved into a flying game. In it, players control the titular Star Fox who is aided by his anthropomorphic animal friends.

Much like Kirby, Star Fox’s popularity grew as he remained part of the Super Smash Bros games. All the different animal characters in the games have well established traits that make it perfect for an animated film adaptation.

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Super Saturday results

4pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 | US$350,000 | (Dirt) | 1,200m
Winner: Drafted, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer).

4.35pm: Al Bastakiya Listed | $300,000 | (D) | 1,900m
Winner: Divine Image, Brett Doyle, Charlie Appleby.

5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 | $350,000 | (Turf) | 1,200m
Winner: Blue Point, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.

5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 | $350,000 | (D) | 1,600m
Winner: Muntazah, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.

6.20pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 | $300,000 | (T) | 2,410m
Winner: Old Persian, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.

6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Group 1 | $600,000 | (D) | 2,000m
Winner: Capezzano, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.

7.30pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 | $400,000 | (T) | 1,800m
Winner: Dream Castle, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor.

Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press

A cryptocurrency primer for beginners

Cryptocurrency Investing  for Dummies – by Kiana Danial 

There are several primers for investing in cryptocurrencies available online, including e-books written by people whose credentials fall apart on the second page of your preferred search engine. 

Ms Danial is a finance coach and former currency analyst who writes for Nasdaq. Her broad-strokes primer (2019) breaks down investing in cryptocurrency into baby steps, while explaining the terms and technologies involved.

Although cryptocurrencies are a fast evolving world, this  book offers a good insight into the game as well as providing some basic tips, strategies and warning signs.

Begin your cryptocurrency journey here. 

Available at Magrudy’s , Dh104 

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

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Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

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Five famous companies founded by teens

There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:

  1. Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate. 
  2. Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc. 
  3. Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway. 
  4. Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
  5. Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
Updated: April 01, 2025, 3:09 AM