With news that Nintendo has delayed The Legend of Zelda movie, the company might have already revealed the ace up its sleeve – Hunter Schafer could be locked into its cast.
According to a statement released by creator Shigeru Miyamoto, The Legend of Zelda is officially delayed from March 26, 2027, to May 7, 2027. The video game adaptation was first announced back in 2023, with little to no details given other than its existence.
“This is Miyamoto. For production reasons, we are changing the release date of the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda to May 7, 2027. It will be some weeks later than the release timing we originally announced, and we will take the extra time to make the film as good as it can be. Thank you for your patience,” the statement reads.
But what are “production reasons?” The wording itself is interesting – not issues, not delays. So has Nintendo unintentionally signalled that Hunter Schafer could officially be joining the cast?
Legend of Zelda delay might confirm Hunter Schafer’s involvement
Let’s rewind for a second. Hunter Schafer’s elven looks and ethereal presence have made the actress an ideal candidate for the role. The Euphoria star even responded to the fan casting in 2023, saying she used to play The Legend of Zelda when she was growing up.
In May 2025, Hollywood scooper DanielRPK revealed Schafer has allegedly been in talks to play Princess Zelda, though no casting has actually been confirmed.
We know Schafer will be filming for Euphoria Season 3, which began in February 2025. With Colman Domingo confirming episodes take around a month each to film, we’re looking at the majority of 2025 ruled out for other projects.
By pushing the Zelda movie on by a few months for “production reasons,” Nintendo could be giving Schafer more time in her schedule to be able to guarantee her in their cast.
As far as the internet’s concerned, she’s the perfect candidate – and they think the delay is also down to her involvement.
“It got delayed because they’re still finalizing the deal with Hunter Schafer to play Zelda!!!! #trustmebro,” one fan posted on X/Twitter.
“Miyamoto scrolling through Twitter and seeing Hunter Schafer with Zelda’s tiara edited on…” another said of the online memes, while a third weighed in, “More time to negotiate with Hunter Schafer. Because I won’t accept any other Princess Zelda other than her.”
At this point, it’s all speculation. Neither Schafer nor Nintendo have confirmed her involvement in the new movie, and no other cast members are currently attached to the project. No plot has been shared either, but director Wes Ball will helm the live-action movie.
Check out our ranking of the best Zelda games of all time and everything we know about The Legend of Zelda movie.
