The three corners of the Triforce are now complete as we’ve come to end of our Casting Ideas for Netflix’s rumored adaptation of The Legend of Zelda. This time we shine a spotlight on the titular character, Princess Zelda, after previously posting our picks for Link and Ganondorf. Zelda has had an interesting development arc during the saga, from being the damsel in distress to becoming a woman of action, notably through her alter ego Sheik, one of the legendary Shiekah (“Shadow Folk”).
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to begin.
Elle Fanning
The younger sister to Dakota (see below), 16-year-old Elle has been working in films since she was just two years old. As a child, she was featured in a wide array of films and TV shows, but as she navigates her teenage career, she has been building up an impressive resume of roles, including J.J. Abrams’ Super 8, as well as starring opposite Angelina Jolie in Maleficent. Fanning has no less than eight films due out in 2016, which may mean she is scheduled out, but she perfectly embodies both the innocence and strength that Zelda possesses.
Chloe Grace Moretz
Could Hit Girl really play Zelda? I say yes! Like Elle Fanning, Moretz started very young, graduating to juicier roles in her early teens. She has skirted edgier parts, literally going to Dark Places, a film due for release later this year. And if Zelda is to take on her guise as Sheik, she could do with Moretz’s kick-ass style (no pun intended).
Saorise Ronan
With crystal blue eyes from her Irish heritage, coupled with shiny blonde hair, Saorise Ronan is the spitting image of Princess Zelda. Her work has been full of variety, including Wes Anderson’s award-winning The Grand Budapest Hotel, sci-fi/fantasy City of Ember, and a haunting turn in Atonement, but like many actors, she started in TV, and could easily return to the medium if the right role presented itself.
Dakota Fanning
Elle’s older sister has had an equally busy career as her sister, including Spielberg’s epic take on War of the Worlds, and the late Tony Scott thriller Man on Fire. Ever since her minor role in the Twilight Saga, she has been working on a slate of indie films, including Ewan McGregor’s directorial debut, American Pastoral. After so much indie work, could she be tempted to work on an epic franchise again? The challenge of playing Zelda would surely be appealing.
Emily Kinney
The Walking Dead alumni with the voice of a country angel has, like Saorise Ronan, an uncanny resemblance to Princess Zelda. She is largely known for her work on TV, so taking one of the leads in a Netflix action adventure would continue her rising career path. She may not have a large body of film work behind her, but she has a strong fan base thanks to AMC’s zombie drama as well as her music career, which would be a perfect match if Link whips out his Ocarina.
Sasha Pieterse
The South-African born starlet, like Kinney, splits her career between acting and music. Her screen roles have been limited to bit parts, with early highlights being her role as Buffy on a Family Affair revival, and as the Ice Princess in Robert Rodriguez’s The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3D. She then landed a regular starring role in ABC’s Pretty Little Liars, as well as larger parts in films like Inherent Vice and Burning Bodhi. However, she is still a largely unknown name, and the producers at Netflix may wish to find someone with a wider appeal.
Sophie Turner
The fiery-haired Game of Thrones starlet was plucked from obscurity to fill the shoes of the very unlucky Sansa Stark. From that dream role she launched herself into the world of Marvel’s mutants, playing the teenage version of Jean Gray in the 1980s set X-Men: Apocalypse, which is due out in 2016. Would she be keen on being shoehorned into another fantasy role? As long as they have an English cup of tea waiting in the wings, we think so.
Dove Cameron
Cameron is a graduate of the Disney Channel, having starred in TV show Liv and Maddie and her dulcet tones have featured on various Disney albums. Her next big screen role is Descendants, an original Disney Channel film featuring the children of various Disney villains, with Cameron playing Mal, the daughter of Kristen Chenoweth’s Maleficent. But could she leave the shadow of the House of the Mouse to take on something slightly more epic?
Elena Kampouris
Kampouris is a relative newcomer who received praise for her role in Jason Reitman’s ensemble drama Men, Women, and Children. She’ll next be seen in TV movie thriller Odyssey. She is a complete unknown, and could bring a fresh face to the role of Zelda.
Aubrey Peeples
Fans of Nashville may know her better as Layla Grant, a recurring role built on smaller roles in other shows including Burn Notice and Drop Dead Diva. Peeples has recently been cast as the lead in the live-action version of classic 80s cartoon Jem and the Holograms. She also managed to survive Sharknado, which should be reason enough to cast her.
It’s Dangerous To Go Alone…
And that, as they say, is a wrap! Hopefully more details will emerge in the coming months about the shape and direction of the Netflix adaptation (or if its even happening at all). Until then, we can only dream about what a live-action version of Hyrule may look like, and who will populate it.
