The Legend of Zelda movie is finally in production, and our eyes are now on the two actors who will portray our favorite duo of Link and Zelda. But did you know that long before she was cast as Zelda, Bo Bragason was also a part of another legendary RPG franchise, Final Fantasy.
We recently saw the first official images from the production of the Legend of Zelda live-action movie. Released via the Nintendo Today app, the new stills show Bragason and co-star Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (Link) in a green field, complete with Hylian ears and familiar Hylian costumes.
Yes, Bo Bragason Was in Final Fantasy (But Not How You’d Expect)
While you’d think that The Legend of Zelda is Bragason’s first experience with the video game universe, it turns out she’s already been a part of a video game project. At just 12 years old, Bo Bragason worked on Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, the 2016 CGI feature set in the world of Final Fantasy XV.
I was wondering why the live action Zelda looked so familiar and it turns out that Bo Bragason was the 3D scan model and mocap actor for young Lunafreya in Kingsglaive FFXV! https://t.co/xYXQswnvkM pic.twitter.com/x0MGuN5MEb
The movie was made as a companion story to the game and was released shortly before its launch. Bragason wasn’t a voice actor in the film. Instead, she was the motion capture performer and 3D scan model for the younger version of Lunafreya Nox Fleuret. The character was then voiced by Liliana Chomsky and Lena Headey of Game of Thrones.
Kingsglaive was a limited release that wasn’t out in theatres worldwide, and it grossed about $6.5 million before landing on DVD, Blu-ray, and digital platforms. So if you watched that movie way back when, it means that you and thousands of fans have already seen Bo Bragason in the world of video game storytelling. You just didn’t know it at the time.
From British Drama to Hyrule: Bo Bragason’s Career
Though we know very little about her early life, Bo Bragason has built a notable resume in just a few years. She first caught our eye in the BBC One series Three Girls, followed by dramatic roles in The Jetty and Disney+’s Renegade Nell. On the big screen, she showed her comedic range in Euros Lyn’s vampire comedy The Radleys.
This is Miyamoto. Filming is underway for the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda in a lush, natural setting, with Bo Bragason-san who will play Zelda and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth-san who will play Link (1/2). pic.twitter.com/fbadNgaDqY
Bragason’s casting as Princess Zelda was first revealed over the summer in a single announcement post shared by Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto. Starring opposite Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link, the film is directed by Wes Ball (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, The Maze Runner) and is set to arrive in theaters on May 7, 2027.
We recently saw some still images from the production of the movie, which included Bragson. Her depiction of Zelda in the images features classic Hylian ears and a royal blue tunic, which is Zelda’s iconic look from Breath of the Wild. We don’t know yet if the studios plan to follow the story of a particular game or are making a new one.
So with the Zelda movie, Bo Bragason steps into her biggest role yet. Zelda is a character defined by intelligence, courage, and resilience, and we can expect the actress to portray exactly that. She is the new Princess Zelda, and her legend is just beginning.
