The late Sam Neill reportedly has a role in The Legend of Zelda live-action movie

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Cherished New Zealand-born, honorary Australian actor, Sam Neill, sadly had his final moments on July 13, 2026 at the age of 78 – but according to a report from Deadline, his legacy will live on in a performance recorded shortly before his passing, in the upcoming The Legend of Zelda live action film.

Deadline’s sources say that Neill will appear in the movie, which wrapped filming before his death, in April, but did not disclose the actor’s role. At any rate, there’s a very good chance this will be his final recorded performance. The news comes as Deadline has also revealed a number of other new names for the still-very-secretive project, including Australian actors Uli Latukefu (Alien: Covenant, MaXXXine) portraying series mainstay villain, Ganondorf, as well as Dichen Lachman (Neighbours, Severance) as Impa and Yvonne Strahovski (Chuck, The Handmaid’s Tale) in an undisclosed “queen” role.

The prevalence of ANZ names in the cast makes some sense, as the film is primarily being shot around Wellington as well Christchurch and key scenic locations on New Zealand’s south island.

The only other known cast for The Legend of Zelda film so far include its two leads – Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (The Haunting of Bly Manor) as Link and Bo Bragason (The Jetty) as Princess Zelda.

Nintendo announced earlier in the year that it had brought the release date of the live-action The Legend of Zelda film forward by a full week to premiere in cinemas on April 30, 2027 – although this did follow an initial delay from March to May 7, 2027.

First revealed back in 2023, the live-action The Legend of Zelda film is being created in partnership between Nintendo and Sony Pictures Entertainment, with Miyamoto and Avi Arad (Spider-Man, Blade) billed as producers and Wes Bal (The Maze Runner, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes) directing.