Nintendo and Sony’s live-action The Legend of Zelda movie has added yet another actor to its increasingly large cast, but fans are once again being left to guess exactly who she is playing. Deadline reports that New Zealand actress Lydia Peckham has joined The Legend of Zelda in an undisclosed role.
Peckham previously worked with Zelda director Wes Ball on 2024’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, where she portrayed Soona.
The studio declined to comment on the report, according to Deadline, while Peckham’s representatives could not be reached for comment.
Peckham apparently managed to participate in the production without her involvement becoming public. The Legend of Zelda wrapped filming in April, and her casting is only now being revealed.
It’s another example of the extraordinary secrecy surrounding Nintendo’s attempt to bring Hyrule into live action.
Nintendo’s Secret Zelda Cast Is Finally Being Revealed
For most of the movie’s development, Nintendo had revealed surprisingly little about the people inhabiting its live-action Hyrule.
The company announced last year that Benjamin Evan Ainsworth would play Link opposite Bo Bragason as Princess Zelda, but there was little official movement beyond those two roles.
That changed considerably this week.
Link and Zelda in the Legend of Zelda movie – Nintendo
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It was also reported that Uli Latukefu, known for portraying a younger version of Dwayne Johnson in Young Rock, will play Ganondorf.
That casting is particularly significant because it confirms that the franchise’s most famous villain will be part of the movie, even as Nintendo continues to keep the actual plot secret.
Deadline has also reported that Severance actress Dichen Lachman will portray Impa, the longtime protector and advisor to Princess Zelda. Yvonne Strahovski has reportedly been cast as an unidentified queen, while the late Sam Neill filmed an undisclosed role prior to his death.
Peckham now becomes the latest addition to that group.
We therefore have a much better picture of the cast than we did a week ago, but Nintendo is still withholding the identities of several major characters.
Who Is Lydia Peckham Playing?
That’s where things become interesting for Zelda fans.
Peckham’s role could theoretically be anything from an original character to one of the dozens of recognizable women who have appeared throughout the franchise’s nearly four-decade history.
Nintendo’s decision to conceal her character also makes it difficult to determine which games might be influencing the movie.
Princess Zelda and Link in The Legend of Zelda – Nintendo
The Legend of Zelda franchise doesn’t have a single recurring supporting cast in the traditional sense. Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf have appeared in numerous incarnations throughout the series, while individual games introduce their own allies, races, villains, kingdoms, and supporting characters.
That leaves an enormous number of possibilities.
Malon and Saria would immediately become interesting possibilities if the movie draws heavily from Ocarina of Time. A Twilight Princess-inspired story could potentially bring Midna into the equation. The more recent games offer characters such as Mipha, Riju, and Purah.
But there’s currently no credible information connecting Peckham to any of them.
For now, assigning her one of those roles would be little more than guessing.
Wes Ball Reunites With a Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Actress
Peckham does bring one notable connection to the production: Wes Ball already knows her work.
She played Soona in Ball’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, appearing as a member of Noa’s Eagle Clan.
Since then, her career has continued to grow.
Lydia Peckham in an interview – YouTube, Hollywood Insider
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Peckham recently completed work on Netflix’s The Kennedys, where she plays Rosemary Kennedy, sister of President John F. Kennedy. Her recent credits also include Nuremberg, MGM+’s Robin Hood, and Prime Video’s The Wrecking Crew.
Her reunion with Ball could simply be a director returning to an actor he enjoyed working with on his previous blockbuster.
What we still don’t know is whether Nintendo has entrusted her with an especially recognizable piece of Zelda history.
Nintendo Has Somehow Kept This Movie Remarkably Secret
The most surprising part of these recent casting revelations might be that we’re only hearing about them now.
Production reportedly wrapped months ago.
That means Nintendo, Sony, Ball, and the actors involved managed to shoot a major live-action adaptation of one of the biggest video game franchises on the planet without much of its cast leaking publicly.
Consider what remains unknown even after this week’s reports.
We still don’t know what game provides the primary inspiration for the movie — or whether Nintendo is instead creating a new interpretation drawing from several different games.
Link and Jabu Jabu in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time – Nintendo
We don’t know which incarnation of Hyrule will appear.
We don’t know the identities of the queen reportedly played by Strahovski or the character played by Neill.
And now we have another mystery in Peckham.
That secrecy may be intentional beyond simply protecting spoilers. Revealing certain characters could immediately tell longtime players quite a bit about what kind of Zelda story Nintendo is planning.
A screenshot from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (2023), Nintendo
Confirm Midna, for example, and speculation immediately turns toward Twilight Princess. Introduce characters strongly associated with Ocarina of Time, and audiences will begin expecting elements of that story.
By keeping the supporting cast hidden, Nintendo is also keeping the movie’s influences hidden.
Zelda Faces a Very Different Challenge Than Super Mario
Nintendo has already demonstrated that its franchises can become enormous theatrical properties.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie became a worldwide blockbuster, and the company is continuing to expand its presence in Hollywood.
But The Legend of Zelda represents a much different test.
Link in The Legend of Zelda Breath of The Wild – YouTube, Nintendo of America
Mario’s jump to animation allowed Nintendo to recreate the exaggerated Mushroom Kingdom with relatively few compromises. Zelda, however, is going live action.
Ball and his team therefore have to translate Hyrule, its races, monsters, dungeons, fantasy environments, and decades of mythology into something that feels believable with human actors while still remaining recognizably Zelda.
That’s an enormous balancing act, particularly with a fanbase that has spent decades developing strong attachments to radically different installments in the franchise.
The continued secrecy surrounding the production means we still have very little indication of how Ball intends to pull it off.
The Legend of Zelda Arrives in May 2027
Wes Ball is directing The Legend of Zelda from a screenplay by T.S. Nowlin.
Franchise creator Shigeru Miyamoto is producing alongside Avi Arad. Sony is co-financing the project with Nintendo and will distribute the movie.
The film is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on May 7, 2027.
Bo Bragason as Zelda in the Legend of Zelda movie – Nintendo
With Link, Zelda, Ganondorf, and Impa now accounted for, the basic shape of the movie is finally beginning to emerge.
But the addition of Lydia Peckham creates yet another mystery.
Nintendo has already filmed its live-action journey into Hyrule. The company simply isn’t ready to tell us exactly who — or what — is waiting there.
Who do you think Lydia Peckham is playing in Zelda? Sound off and let us know!
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