Nintendo's Zelda 40th Direct Reveals Ocarina Remake, Movie Details
Nintendo aired a 30-minute Direct on Sept. 8 dedicated to The Legend of Zelda's 40th anniversary, the first of two showcases planned for the week. The centerpiece was a full gameplay reveal for the Ocarina of Time Switch 2 remake, which launches Nov. 5.
Producer Eiji Aonuma showed early Kokiri Forest footage and confirmed the remake stays faithful to the 1998 original rather than adopting the open-world style of Breath of the Wild. New features include a jump button, camera rotation, swimming and diving without special clothing, full voice acting in cutscenes, a journal with objective markers, sprinting, motion-controlled aiming, expanded areas, and the ability to hum ocarina tunes into the Switch 2's mic.
The Direct also confirmed the live-action film is simply titled The Legend of Zelda, with no subtitle. Shigeru Miyamoto said the choice is intentional and that viewers will understand why after seeing it. The movie opens April 30, 2027.
Other announcements included a Zelda-themed Switch 2, a Link and Epona Lego set, new amiibo, Hasbro figures, an electronic Master Sword toy, Nintendo Museum updates, and a 40th anniversary concert tour starting in Chicago on Feb. 22, 2027.
The Direct gave the first concrete look at Nintendo's flagship Ocarina of Time remake and set release dates for both the game and the live-action Zelda film, anchoring the franchise's 40th anniversary year.