The Zelda fan community is an expansive one. There are countless fan fictions, mangas, films, art, cosplayers, and so much more in the realm of the community that it’s hard to imagine a more passionate fan base than this global collective. The presale numbers of Hyrule Historia when it first released in English on Amazon.com was a testament to how hungry fans were for more, more, more.
One of those things the fans desire: A Legend of Zelda movie. Long have fans gone out in the woods and filmed parodies and short films for fun, and there are a handful of films that have become icons in the fanbase, namely BMB Finishes’ “Hero of Time” feature, and the upcoming short film teased by The Zelda Project. And we all remember the stunning April Fools teaser made by IGN.
But this is no joking matter. It is the opinion of indie filmmaker Stephonika W. Kaye that the Zelda series has yet to be properly adapted to the screen, and she has been on a path to creating that perfect film for the community since she was first introduced to Zelda at four years old. “I watch animations and little films all the time,” she says, “and where there are gems to be had in the community (and there are some absolutely amazing works out there to see), the bigger attempts, I feel, still fall short. The parodies are great, and the serious ones are equally fantastic, but everything I’ve seen that tries to honor the legacy of the series just doesn’t quite have it. Whether it’s because of casting or script or camera quality or visual effects, none of the more serious films have left me with a sense of ‘Yes! That’s what Zelda is!’ And I want to deliver the film we’ve been waiting for with Legacy.”
“Legacy” is a film that follows Ocarina of Time’s defeated hero timeline. All that is known of the film’s story thus far is that the focal point tries to hit home the central theme of the Zelda series: courage in the face of all odds. As the director explains, “A man can be killed, a hero can fail, but his heroism, his sheer will to try is what it’s all about. Think about it realistically. Link was this kid thrust into an adventure he didn’t expect with no practical training. He has this huge task placed on him to save the world, and it’s a world he barely even knows. The fact that this ten-year-old kid crosses mountains and rivers is an astounding story. The film I want to create will capture the essence of what courage truly is and place it in a grand mythos like Robin Hood or the Arthurian legends for all to enjoy.”
Alex Foor (Ganondorf), Arielle Solkovica (Zelda), Kyle Perkins (Link) before entering.
In an attempt to gain public attention for the film, Kaye took her three leading actors for a promotional tour at the Ohio Renaissance Festival grounds on Saturday October 10th, and they were met with a wave of positive feedback. Suited up in extensive works-in-progress costumes, they were the sight to be seen on the streets of the fest from the moment they entered the grounds. Due to the strong fan response, and having to stop every five steps for photos with fans, it took them nearly an hour to make it to a leather shop right around the corner of the front gate to make repairs to an already malfunctioning Ganondorf costume.
During their afternoon tour of the fest, Ganondorf thumb wrestled a Dark Link cosplayer, watched a young Doctor Whovian display impressive card magic, and even attended the Knighting Ceremony where they were each dubbed Knight of Hyrule, Princess of Hyrule, and … Lord of Darkness! The official ORF players, the royal entourage who performed the knighting ceremony, took a great liking to the Zelda crew and were giddy to have them in their presence. The players sang Zelda tunes as Link and Zelda were each dubbed, and Ganondorf even made eyebrows with the Queen herself … who flirted right back!
After the ceremony and lunch at the Aleing Knight Pub, the Zelda crew took in the 3 o’clock joust from the impressive Knights of Valour, where they witnessed Sir Joshua thrown from his horse twice. After the joust, they continued their long tour of the grounds, encountering more fans, both adult and very young, to pose with for photos. Poor Link was even thrown into the stocks by Ganondorf with the warning that in his new world, kicking cucoos and breaking pots was outlawed. Later Link and the director tried their luck in the Gamer’s Grove with archery, and they were actually very good! Twelve arrows between the two of them, they each struck a bullseye once. “Kyle [Link] is actually learning horsebacking, swordplay, and archery just for this film,” says Kaye.
Stephonika W. Kaye (director) and Kyle Perkins celebrate their bullseyes.
As the day was coming to a close, Ganondorf dueled a youngster (and lost!), Link was literally scooted out of a pottery shop by an owner wielding a wooden paddle, and Link played his ocarina for the crowd as the cast made their way to the front gate. At the gate, the entire ORF cast stood along the parapets and along the sides of the outside, and as the Zelda entourage took those last steps that would transport them from the magical world and into the realities of modernity once more, the ORF cast gave them one last farewell salute: They began humming and singing the main Hyrule theme from Ocarina of Time.
Kaye is still enthralled from the whole experience. “When the Fest players started singing the Zelda theme as we left, side by side, I could have almost cried from being so happy. We’d passed out all 100 business cards we’d made for the promo tour, we’d taken pics with the cutest kids and the nerdiest adults, I’d watched the best jousting match ever and shot a bullseye with Link, and the official cast adored us enough to make that grand gesture.”
Legacy, produced by Bleeding Edge Productions–a company co-founded by Kaye and her three friends Alex Foor, Kyle Perkins, and Victoria McDevitt–is still a year from rolling cameras next May, but the journey to making this film has already begun, and the Ohio Renaissance Festival grounds has already been locked down as one of the film’s locations. This is a film made by fans for fans, with people who’ve actually been working in the industry. Kaye has written and directed a sci-fi feature and many short films; Alexander Elkins, the cinematographer, has been shooting commercially for years; the production designer, Shelby Hamet, has worked on big films such as Miles Ahead, Funhouse Massacre, The Blunderer, and the Long Home; and their special effects make up artist, Jason Ervin, does stunning work and is very excited to create live action gorons and zoras. These are only a few of the talented crew members currently on the project.
As for the cast: Ganondorf will be played by Alex Foor, Kyle Perkins will take up arms as the hero, and the ever popular cosplayer, Arielle Solkovica (ZeldaTetraSheik), will play the regal Princess Zelda. Filling out the supporting cast is Victoria McDevitt as Malon, with Jaylen Stoneburner acting as her young self, and a Young Link who’s casting has been selected and soon to be announced. There are still casting selections yet to be made for the supporting cast which includes: Young Zelda, Saria, Ruto, Nabooru, Darunia, Rauru, Impa, Young Wise Man, Old Wise Man, Knight of Hyrule, and a number of non-speaking background players to fill out iconic faces from the games.
The Zelda cast had an amazing time at the Ren Fest and was completely astounded by the response from fans. From the event’s success, they have already begun talking about other public promo opportunities they could do, so you may still have a chance to see the cast live if you weren’t able to attend Ohio’s Ren Fest.
The Zelda cast with director Stephonika W. Kaye pose for one last photo before departing.
Legacy is on its way into becoming one of the hallmarks of the Zelda fan community, and if you, too, wish to be involved and show your support, you can follow their adventure on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/legacyofcourage or follow them on Twitter @LegacyofCourage. The best way to contact the producers to become involved in either cast or crew is to send a message through their Facebook account. If you’d like to help the production but don’t have the skills or interest in being part of the cast or crew, you can also watch for their online fundraiser to go viral in January or February to donate to the cause.
The producers at Bleeding Edge hope that you will show your support by liking their main page as well at https://www.facebook.com/bleedingedgeprod. They’ve been filming a short film once a month since November 2014, and their films, ranging from zombie comedy to serious sci-fi, begin releasing this November.
