Sam Neill Filmed a Secret Role in THE LEGEND OF ZELDA Before His Passing; Dichen Lachman and Yvonne Strahovski Join the Cast

The cast of The Legend of Zeldajust got a whole lot more interesting, and one of its newly revealed appearances will carry some extra emotional weight for movie fans.

The lateSam Neillfilmed a role in Sony and Nintendo’s live-action adaptation of the beloved Nintendo adventure franchise before his passing on July 13. The movie wrapped production in April, meaning Neill had completed his work on the film several months earlier.

There’s no word yet on who Neill is playing, and considering how fiercely Nintendo and Sony have protected this movie’s secrets, we probably shouldn’t expect an answer anytime soon. His appearance in The Legend of Zelda will be among his final screen performances, and it could potentially be his last.

For fans who grew up watching Neill as Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park, seeing him enter the world of Hyrule should make for a pretty special moment.

Neill isn’t the only newly revealed member of the Zelda cast. Dichen Lachman, best known to many viewers as Ms. Casey in Severance, and Yvonne Strahovski of The Handmaid’s Tale have also joined the film.

Lachman is reportedly playing Impa, Princess Zelda’s trusted bodyguard and advisor. Bo Bragason is taking on the role of Zelda, so Lachman should have a significant connection to her character and whatever trouble is coming for Hyrule.

Strahovski’s exact role remains a mystery, but sources indicate that she plays a queen. That certainly opens up some interesting possibilities for longtime Legend of Zelda fans, although there’s not enough information yet to pin down exactly which character she’ll be bringing to life.

These casting revelations arrive alongside the news that Australian actor Uli Latukefu has landed the role of Ganondorf, giving the movie its primary villain. He’ll be going up against Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, who stars as Link opposite Bragason’s Princess Zelda.

The additional casting news is especially notable because information surrounding the production has been kept incredibly tight. Nintendo announced Ainsworth and Bragason as Link and Zelda last July, and the newly reported additions of Latukefu, Neill, Lachman and Strahovski are the first major casting details to surface since then.

As for what adventure Link and Zelda are actually embarking on, that remains locked away somewhere in Nintendo’s treasure chest.

The Legend of Zelda games traditionally follow Link and Princess Zelda as they battle to protect the magical kingdom of Hyrule from Ganon, the warlord who becomes the fearsome Demon King. Nintendo legends Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka created the franchise, which debuted in 1986 and has since sold more than 150 million units worldwide.

Sony and Nintendo first announced plans for the live-action The Legend of Zelda movie in fall 2023, with the two companies teaming up to co-finance the project and Sony handling distribution.

Wes Ball, director of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, is directing the adaptation. Miyamoto and Avi Arad are producing, while T.S. Nowlin wrote the most recent version of the screenplay.

Ball previously talked about wanting to create something that captures the wonder of Miyazaki while bringing Nintendo’s fantasy world into live action. With filming now complete, we’re getting closer to seeing exactly what his version of Hyrule looks like.

For Neill, The Legend of Zelda becomes another intriguing entry among the final projects of an incredible career. Neill also leaves behind performances in the upcoming The Last Resort, a romantic comedy starring Daisy Ridley and Alden Ehrenreich, as well as Warner Bros. and Legendary’s Godzilla x Kong: Supernova.

There are still plenty of unanswered questions surrounding The Legend of Zelda, particularly when it comes to Neill and Strahovski’s characters. But between Ainsworth’s Link, Bragason’s Zelda, Latukefu’s Ganondorf and Lachman’s Impa, we’re finally starting to get a much clearer picture of the ensemble Ball has assembled for Hyrule.

And Sam Neill being part of that world makes this adaptation even more meaningful. Whatever role he plays, getting one more big-screen performance from the Jurassic Park icon is something worth looking forward to.

The Legend of Zelda is currently scheduled to hit theaters on May 7, 2027.

Source: Deadline