Nintendo is definitely making mobile games, but it may not make a Zelda show with Netflix.
The publisher’s chief executive officer, Satoru Iwata, has told Time that people shouldn’t get their hopes up for a Netflix original series based on the classic action-adventure series The Legend of Zelda. While this would seemingly counter the rumor from last month that a show is in the works, the Nintendo boss didn’t slam the door on the idea.
[aditude-amp id="flyingcarpet" targeting='{"env":"staging","page_type":"article","post_id":1683838,"post_type":"story","post_chan":"none","tags":null,"ai":false,"category":"none","all_categories":"games,","session":"B"}']“As of now, I have nothing new to share with you in regard to the use of our IPs for any TV shows or films,” said Iwata. “But I can at least confirm that the article in question is not based on correct information.”
We’ve asked Nintendo and Netflix for further clarification of this statement. We’ll update this story with any response we receive.
Iwata’s answer to Time is referring to a Wall Street Journal report from February that used a single source to claim Nintendo was in talks with Netflix to produce a live-action Zelda franchise. The story claimed Netflix wanted to use Hyrule, Link, and Ganon to create its own Game of Thrones-style show.
But now, it looks like that might not happen — although Iwata very specifically did not say it isn’t in the works. He just said that the WSJ story came from information that isn’t accurate. That could mean the whole story isn’t true, which, if that’s the case, why wouldn’t Iwata just say so. Or it could mean that the WSJ didn’t have the full story.
Nintendo is definitely considering licensing its properties to Hollywood. Last May, Iwata told investors that the company was opening up to letting other companies use Mario, Zelda, and other characters.
Zelda is a huge franchise is an example of Nintendo’s strong stable of characters. An example of this is the recent rerelease of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask for the 3DS. That game originally debuted on the Nintendo 64 in 2000, but its updated handheld version just topped the sales chart for new games at U.S. retailers, according to industry-intelligence firm The NPD Group. It beat out huge new games like The Order: 1886 for the PlayStation 4 and multiplayer shooter Evolve.
Those strong sales support the idea that Nintendo could rent out its characters to Hollywood for a chance to earn some serious profit with little effort. This is something the company has expressed interest in since it is looking for ways to earn more revenue.
“We are seeing possibilities in licensing character IP in areas Nintendo has never worked before,” Iwata said in May. “Generally, a licensing business earns licensing fees from companies that take risks to do their business. Therefore, it is highly profitable, but the impact on sales and profits is limited compared to the company’s own business.”
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When originally reached about this rumor last month, Nintendo and Netflix both told GamesBeat that they do not comment on rumors. Now, while Iwata is denying aspects of the WSJ report, he is also saying that he’s not going to talk about how his company plans to use its IPs with television and movies. Clearly, Nintendo is still considering that possibility. So while that may not result in a Zelda show on Netflix, it’s still very possible we’ll see something along those lines in the next few years.