Netflix Reportedly In Talks for 'Legend of Zelda' Show

Over the last few years, Netflix has grown from Internet success story to media-streaming giant, paving the way for how new content is created and distributed. With Daredevil, the first of its new slate of Marvel Comics-based properties, set to premiere in just a few months, Netflix is proving to old media companies that it’s willing to do whatever’s necessary to prove that the old paradigm is basically old and dead – and it seems that Netflix has yet another property in the works that’ll help prove that point better than ever.

A report from Wall Street Journal today says that Netflix is in talks with Nintendo to develop a new live action show based on The Legend of Zelda franchise of video games. The intention, apparently, is to make something “like ‘Game of Thrones’ or ‘Lord of the Rings,’ but typically with a more light-hearted, kid-friendly tone.”

It’s important to point out, of course, that this news could evaporate at literally any moment. There’s no question that if there’s any truth at all to this report, Netflix and Nintendo are still in the very early stages of their development relationship. Moreover, Nintendo has been more than a little gun shy about how its properties appear in other forms of media. While it happens to be one of my absolute favorite movies, the film adaptation of Super Mario Bros. still hangs like a pall over the company and its attempts to bring its properties to other media.

At the same time, Nintendo has been having a really hard time for the last several quarters to keep its shareholders happy. The company has been hounded by stockholders to start licensing its game properties out to mobile phone game developers, but Nintendo’s executive leadership has steadfastly refused to let Super Mario appear on other devices that aren’t made by Nintendo.

However, a TV show licensing deal with Netflix may be a great way to bring more positive buzz to its brands without having to move game experiences off of its hardware platforms. And there’s no question that both companies are hungry for success as the media landscape continues to change, and competitors shoot up from every angle. Sony will soon be airing an exclusive comic book adaptation of its own in the form of Powers, and Amazon pulled in some Emmy successes with its recent show Transparent.

In short, both companies have a lot to lose right now, and a lot to gain should this supposed deal bear fruit. Let’s hope they work this out and we’ll all be binge-watching the Legend of Zelda on Netflix next year…

[Source: Wall Street Journal]