The cast for the upcoming live-action The Legend of Zelda movie is becoming clearer, and a report indicates that the legendary New Zealand actor Sam Neill, who died in July at the age of 78, has a role in the game-to-film adaptation.
Deadline reports that Neill, best known to audiences as Dr. Alan Grant in three Jurassic Park films, filmed his role in the Wes Ball-directed movie prior to his death. Principal production wrapped in April. Neill’s role is unknown, but Deadline adds that Chuck actor Yvonne Strahovski is also in the film’s cast, apparently as a “queen character.” It wouldn’t be unreasonable to predict that Neill could play the king of Hyrule.
Sharing the screen with Neill and Strahovski will be Severance’s Dichen Lachman, who was spotted in set photos shortly after production began. Fan speculation pointed towards Lachman portraying Impa, who is usually a caretaker or protector to Princess Zelda in many of the games. Deadline’s sources appear to corroborate these fan theories.
The Legend of Zelda film is one of three movies that Neill is set to make a posthumous appearance in, the two others being Godzilla x Kong: Supernova (releasing March 26) and a romantic comedy titled The Last Resort. Depending on when the latter comes out, The Legend of Zelda could be Neill’s final role.
A survivor of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Neill ultimately passed from pneumonia. Other than Jurassic Park, Neill’s most famous film appearances include Possession, Event Horizon, and Hunt for the Wilderpeople, along with some tongue-in-cheek cameos in Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder.
The Zelda cast rounds out with Australian actor Uli Latukefu reportedly playing the villainous Ganondorf, facing off against Benjamin Evan Ainsworth’s Link and Bo Bragason’s Princess Zelda. The Legend of Zelda premieres on April 30, 2027.