Netflix reportedly making Zelda series.

[Iroscato]

Oh fuck the hell yes.
http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2015/02/ ... ix-series/

“The Legend of Zelda,” one of the most popular videogame series of all time, is in the works as a television show at Netflix.
The video streaming service is in the early stages of developing a live action series based on “Zelda,” about an ordinary boy named Link who must rescue a princess named Zelda and save a fantasy world called Hyrule, said a person familiar with the matter. As it seeks writers to work on the show, Netflix is describing it as “Game of Thrones” for a family audience, this person said.
The “Zelda” games have traditionally included swords and sorcery, like “Game of Thrones” or “Lord of the Rings,” but typically with a more light-hearted, kid-friendly tone.
Netflix is said to be working closely with Nintendo, the Japanese game developer that has made about 20 “The Legend of Zelda” games since the original, which was released in the U.S. in 1987.
Nintendo is very protective of its intellectual property and has allowed few adaptations over the years. An animated “Legend of Zelda” series ran for just one season in 1989. A 1993 movie based on Nintendo’s “Super Mario Bros.” was an infamous bomb.
As it is still seeking a writer to work on the series, Netflix has a long road to travel before a “Legend of Zelda” series actually becomes a reality. It’s also possible that Netflix or Nintendo will kill the project before it gets off the ground.
A Netflix spokeswoman declined to comment. A Nintendo spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

God I hope this is real, and actually happening. If it is real, Netflix can have my 6 goddamn quid a month. And if I could, I would kiss them all 'pon the mouth.

[Guardsman Bass]

Pretty cool news. The basics of Legend of Zelda - hero, princess, evil wizard/monster - are so archetypical you could pretty much insert any sort of fantasy plot into it. Netflix might sink a fair chunk of change into it as well, hopefully not all on casting (otherwise you end up with stuff like Camelot, with shoddier effects and sets despite a higher budget than Game of Thrones).

That said, I think the series would be better as a high-quality animated series*, like Avatar and Legend of Korra. Live-action is pretty cool, but it also means they're going to be heavily limited by budget in the fantasy-ish stuff they have.

* Yes, I'm aware of the godawful cartoon that was already made.

[Borgholio]

I have been waiting 20 years for a Zelda movie / TV series. If this pans out, I will SO be interested in it.

[Iroscato]

Furiously listening to the 25th anniversary Medley in celebration atm
Ever since I first slotted in Ocarina of Time on my cousin's battered old N64, I've also been dying to see it realised as a movie or TV show. I guess we do have GOT to thank for making this possible in a way.

[Lord Revan]

it would be intresting to see how'd they explain Link's iconic outfit though there's been versions that looked more realistic (like the Twilight Princess one).

[Guardsman Bass]

I haven't heard any confirmation from Nintendo or Netflix about this, so it may just be a rumor. An awesome rumor.

[Zixinus]

it would be intresting to see how'd they explain Link's iconic outfit though there's been versions that looked more realistic (like the Twilight Princess one).

Traditional clothes? With the exception of the back-scabbard (you wear a sword on your side with good reason*) Link is wearing fairly regular medieval clothes, especially in versions when he isn't wearing stocking (or they may be pants) or what may be long-sleeved shirt underneath the tunic. He looks like a relatively richer (with the belt and boots) medieval peasant.

*The idea of a back-scabbard is a modern anachronism made by people who are annoyed by having a sword at your side and want their hands bother-free. Back-scabbards were worn historically but only with swords too long to be worn on the side. The problem with back-scabbards is that you require complicated setup to get it to work and even if you manage to do that, it takes longer to draw from and makes you more defenseless more (with a side-worn sword, drawing out the sword can give you some limited ability to block). In the first Witcher game they actually didn't use scabbards because they would constantly clip out. However it looks better as it changes the profile of the character and makes the sword-hilt at head-level.

[Mr Bean]

I'm going to cross post this from reddit because it was so good

Saying "Game of Thrones for a family audience" is like saying "Pork Barbecue for Jewish vegans". There is simply no possible way to give a compatible experience from one to the other

I'm sure it's just marketing speak but yeah, GoT for the kids... makes no sense what so ever. So no murder, no incest, no bloody battles, your left with rich world building and political intrigue.

There we go "It's Lord of the Rings Meet's House of Cards"

[Formless]

it would be intresting to see how'd they explain Link's iconic outfit though there's been versions that looked more realistic (like the Twilight Princess one).

Traditional clothes? With the exception of the back-scabbard (you wear a sword on your side with good reason*) Link is wearing fairly regular medieval clothes, especially in versions when he isn't wearing stocking (or they may be pants) or what may be long-sleeved shirt underneath the tunic. He looks like a relatively richer (with the belt and boots) medieval peasant.

Or if you want it to look Badass, make it Gambeson (i.e. quilted armor), with the tunic being leg protection. And have mail armor under that. Link is supposed to be a trained Hylean warrior/knight, after all.

*The idea of a back-scabbard is a modern anachronism made by people who are annoyed by having a sword at your side and want their hands bother-free. Back-scabbards were worn historically but only with swords too long to be worn on the side. The problem with back-scabbards is that you require complicated setup to get it to work and even if you manage to do that, it takes longer to draw from and makes you more defenseless more (with a side-worn sword, drawing out the sword can give you some limited ability to block). In the first Witcher game they actually didn't use scabbards because they would constantly clip out. However it looks better as it changes the profile of the character and makes the sword-hilt at head-level.

Uh, no. Close but no. As far as I know, it is completely anachronistic nonsense and especially impractical for a longer sword. The problem is that the sword exceeds the length of your arm such that its impossible to actually pull out of a rear scabbard-- and specialized rigs won't help you past a certain length. Some swords that RPG designers show with back scabbards were as tall as the user! Any rig that you might have heard of was almost certainly a Hollywood device made for movies like Highlander or Conan the Barbarian. IF you wore a sword on your back-- which could happen-- it was not a weapon you expected to use at a moment's notice, but rather one you were transporting from one battlefield to the next.

If the sword was too long to be worn at the side, then it wasn't worn at all; it was carried at hand. These are the methods recommended by contemporary soldiers. These swords were mainly battlefield weapons; the only greatsword that is an exception to that rule was the Spanish montante (also seen occasionally in Italy under a different name) which were used by bodyguards. Again, these swords were as tall as the user, so there was no point in wearing it at all. In most sparring I see with the montante, they usually start with it point down on the floor and then they kick it up. Meaning, it was probably just held in hand like a walking stick. You could probably hold it in its scabbard to protect the point, but that is as close to wearing it as you would get. Remember, if you were allowed to walk around with such a large weapon in town anyway, you could probably get away with simply having it in hand.

Ironically, since Link wields a one handed sword and shield, his weapon might just be short enough that it could feasibly be drawn from his back. It just isn't a very good idea since you can't quick draw it that way. And European swordsman had their own Iado like strikes they could do starting with a sheathed sword, like going from here to this cut to the wrist. Back scabbards are just stupid.

[Simon_Jester]

Link's portrayed as being highly acrobatic and agile in most depictions, so having him wear bulky padding and armor looks badass but may be inappropriate to his aesthetic as a character.

As to swords and sheaths... Link is portrayed drawing a weapon from a scabbard on his back, and his iconic weapon (the Master Sword) seems to have something like a 36" blade, at least in portrayals where he's an adult.

Big two-handed swords are not normally part of Link's arsenal although they may exist as weapons you can get ahold of via a quest chain.

Thing is, Link is also depicted in gameplay as carrying a vast arsenal of tools and weapons that appear nowhere on his person. He's a major offender in terms of "hyperspace arsenals." The question of how, realistically, he draws his sword quickly in the least of our problems.

[LadyTevar]

Iron Boots are the biggest offender. When he's wearing them he can barely walk. However, put them in his backpack and he can run all day.

[Simon_Jester]

I've always rationalized this by saying that the Iron Boots aren't actually heavy- they're enchanted, so they do what they're supposed to do when they're supposed to do it. And don't do it when they aren't.

Sure, that contradicts the item description text. So what?

[Sea Skimmer]

Link's portrayed as being highly acrobatic and agile in most depictions, so having him wear bulky padding and armor looks badass but may be inappropriate to his aesthetic as a character.

Agility also happens to be the one absolute advantage of placing a sword on your back as opposed to the side. And was probably the only reason why anyone did it in real life.

[Formless]

Except that no one did it in real life unless transporting it in a backpack or something. It doesn't help agility at all to have it on your back, because it juts out behind you almost as badly as wearing it at your side. Skirmishers, ninja, and other warriors that needed "agility" (whatever you happen to mean by that) simply picked a smaller weapon like a short sword+buckler or a kama or whatever was appropriate in their culture and time period.

Shields are worn on the back when not in use, that is known. Link could simply strap his scabbard onto the inside of his shield and there would be less of a problem. I think there are references to vikings doing this kind of thing in the Nordic sagas.

Gambeson doesn't slow you down that much at all, and mail isn't as bad as some people make it out to be. Its a role playing game cliche that all armor is bulky and hard to move in, but we aren't talking about plate here. We're talking about a winter weight jacket, basically, just sewn together tighter. A fighter needs to be able to move, so the armors of the time period accommodate that. If anything would slow Link down, its the fact that he does wear a tunic, no matter how light or heavy it is. But that's fine if it is for protection's sake. From some of the tests I've seen people preform with blades on cloth, its surprising how effective even one layer of linen or other material is at stopping cuts, let alone multiple layers. These guys found that with enough layers, they couldn't even stab through with a big dirk.

Link definitely needs to explain where he stashes his bags of holding, though.

[Guardsman Bass]

It'd be funny to have that in a show, and then have the show just go with it including the other implications of such a power (being able to magically summon weapons from a cache and send them back).

[Simon_Jester]

Except that no one did it in real life unless transporting it in a backpack or something. It doesn't help agility at all to have it on your back, because it juts out behind you almost as badly as wearing it at your side. Skirmishers, ninja, and other warriors that needed "agility" (whatever you happen to mean by that) simply picked a smaller weapon like a short sword+buckler or a kama or whatever was appropriate in their culture and time period.

Shields are worn on the back when not in use, that is known. Link could simply strap his scabbard onto the inside of his shield and there would be less of a problem. I think there are references to vikings doing this kind of thing in the Nordic sagas.

I believe his portrayal in Ocarina of Time, at least, was consistent with the idea that he does this.

Gambeson doesn't slow you down that much at all, and mail isn't as bad as some people make it out to be. Its a role playing game cliche that all armor is bulky and hard to move in, but we aren't talking about plate here.

...Granted, but while chain mail doesn't stop you moving around, it is going to be something of a handicap if you're constantly rolling and jumping around avoiding death rays and pissed off giant metal statues with battleaxes.

At the very least it's going to be fatiguing. And while gameplay obviously doesn't really say much about this since virtually all video game characters never get tired... I've always imagined that Link's heroic endurance is perhaps his most defining trait. He never gives up, he never stops trying, he can battle his way through dozens of monster-infested chambers, repel hazards both mundane and supernatural, climb giant cliffs, swim raging rivers, have to try three or four times to get past a trap without setting it off... and still be up for slaying a dragon at the end of it all.

[Guardsman Bass]

It'd be an interesting way to introduce the Triforce of Courage in the show, since that may be why Link has superhuman levels of courage, endurance, and physical/emotional toughness. It presumably does something for him, since the Triforce of Power super-charged Ganon's magic and the Triforce of Wisdom did . . . something for Zelda.

[Simon_Jester]

Zelda seems to gain insight and connections to supernatural forces; there is usually critical information or tactics that Link needs to defeat Ganon, which he cannot access without her aid. Or magical obstacles that only she can help him overcome.

I've always liked the idea that each of the three recurring characters gets the Triforce they do because that is, metaphorically, what they pray for, what they strive after. Zelda wants wisdom so she can rule well, or safeguard the realm, or keep magical forces in balance. Ganon wants power to reshape the world in his image. And Link... Link wants to be brave, to be strong in the sense of having the strength of character to do whatever he needs to, to protect those he cares about and go into danger on their behalf.

You could imagine Link and Ganon both asking the goddesses of their setting for the 'strength' to overcome a challenge... but they would mean very different things by making that request.

[TheFeniX]

There's about an 90% chance this ends up being BS or just falling through. Also, the Zelda cartoon was terrible, but awesome. Overt sexual references in the first 30 seconds of a kid's cartoon is as American as horrific violence and abstinence-only education. Anyone who says otherwise can excuse themselves.

Back scabbards are cool. Shadow Temple and Bottom of the Well is more GoT than anything because Zelda does not stop from throwing creepy shit at you all the time.

A live action Zelda series would be hilariously bad. If this actually goes through, and I'm wrong.... I'll finish my play-through of Other M. Only because I don't own a hat anymore.

[Zixinus]

Uh, no. Close but no. As far as I know, it is completely anachronistic nonsense and especially impractical for a longer sword.

Yes, that was what I wanted to say but didn't say it well. I only reviewed my post once the editing window was gone.

The problem is that the sword exceeds the length of your arm such that its impossible to actually pull out of a rear scabbard-- and specialized rigs won't help you past a certain length.

What I mean of people historically carrying swords on their back I mean they used it for one purpose: transport. Such scabbards were essentially sword-specific backpack and you had to take it off to get the sword out.

Video game designers love back-scabbards because as long as it isn't obvious, the sword drawn out can just clip trough the sheath. Nobody really notices.

[Guardsman Bass]

I just thought of something with Ganon. He's a brown villain fighting against two protagonists (Link and Zelda) who are both blond, blue-eyed, fair-skinned, and delicate featured. But if you were to change that in a show aside from making him a Pig Monster, would that be race-bending and bad?

[Formless]

Well, he also has red hair, so I'm not sure what race he would be associated with. Then again, Link and Zelda are clearly elves, so...

Sorry Zinxious, somehow I thought you were implying that elaborate rigs were historic when they weren't. I should have read closer. But yeah, as far as I know, it was standard to simply carry greatswords and throw them in a cart when traveling between battlefields.

Maybe its me, but I notice the clipping every time in those games. When they aren't cheating by having the weapon just stick there like the hero has a magnet in their spine, that is. I guess you could excuse it if the sword had a clip on it like this, but I can't remember the last time I saw that other than the concept art for Cloud Strife.

[Simon_Jester]

I just thought of something with Ganon. He's a brown villain fighting against two protagonists (Link and Zelda) who are both blond, blue-eyed, fair-skinned, and delicate featured. But if you were to change that in a show aside from making him a Pig Monster, would that be race-bending and bad?

The version of Ganon I am most familiar with, aesthetically, is green with bright red hair. He doesn't look like any real race.

[Kingmaker]

Does Legend of Zelda actually have enough plot or character to carry a TV series? I mean, the plot of 90% of the games is "[Villain] is trying to conquer/destroy [place]. Are you a bad enough dude to rescue the [female lead] and defeat [the villain]?" Nor do I imagine the dungeon crawls will translate well out of a gaming context.

[Gaidin]

They actually started doing something with Ocarina of Time insofar as characters. The games after, not sure, haven't gotten to play them so much and don't remember them as well.