John Paesano, the composer behind Marvel’s Spider-Man and Daredevil, has been tapped to score Nintendo’s live-action film adaptation of The Legend of Zelda, per nme.com.
According to updated production credits, Paesano will collaborate with veteran series composer Koji Kondo, who joins the project as a consultant.
The appointment reunites Paesano with director Wes Ball, following their previous collaborations on the Maze Runner trilogy and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Paesano, a BAFTA winner for his work on Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, brings extensive experience in gaming and film, including scores for Gran Turismo 7 and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.
Koji Kondo’s involvement ensures continuity for the long-running franchise. Having composed the music for the original 1986 game and shaped the series’ iconic soundscape for four decades, Kondo recently served as a consultant on the Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
The live-action adaptation is currently filming in New Zealand, starring Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link and Bo Bragason as Princess Zelda. The project was first announced in November 2023 as part of a wider push by Nintendo to establish a consistent pipeline of cinematic releases following the commercial success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
The Legend of Zelda is scheduled for a global cinema release in May 2027. Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has previously stated that the company is “building a framework” for future adaptations, with a Donkey Kong spin-off also rumoured to be in development.
•Featured image: Bo Bragason (Princess Zelda) & Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (Link) in ‘The Legend Of Zelda’/Sony
