The Legend of Zelda, one of the biggest video game franchises in history, may soon be coming to a television screen near you — and not as a video game.
The Wall Street Journal reported today that video streaming giant Netflix is developing a live action television series that will attempt to bring the Zelda series back to life for the first time as a TV show since the 1980s. The company — which has delved into original content in recent years — is apparently describing the series as a family-friendly version of the hit HBO series Game of Thrones.
The Legend of Zelda series has been a hit with gamers since it was first released on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987. The series has sold over 67 million copies to date, raking in billions of dollars in revenue from game sales and merchandise alone. The most recent Zelda spinoff — Hyrule Warriors — was released in September 2014 with the company shipping over one million units to retailers across the globe.
According to the Wall Street Journal report:
Netflix is said to be working closely with Nintendo, the Japanese game developer that has made about 20 “The Legend of Zelda” games since the original, which was released in the U.S. in 1987.
Nintendo is very protective of its intellectual property and has allowed few adaptations over the years. An animated “Legend of Zelda” series ran for just one season in 1989. A 1993 movie based on Nintendo’s “Super Mario Bros.” was an infamous bomb.
As it is still seeking a writer to work on the series, Netflix has a long road to travel before a “Legend of Zelda” series actually becomes a reality. It’s also possible that Netflix or Nintendo will kill the project before it gets off the ground.