Netflix is about to expand its lineup of original programming with a live-action TV series based on the Legend of Zelda, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The TV Series is being described as a Game of Thrones for family audience, according to reports. Yes, the use of the Game of Thrones might be hype and the simple use of the word "drama" may be a better description.
Netflix is working close with Nintendo, the game maker and publisher notorious for keeping its intellectual properties close to its chest, WSJ reported. The live action is still in need of a writer, so it's clear the series has a long way to go and a lot of obstacles to overcome.
Nintendo has released about 25 Legend of Zelda games, including HD remasters, all of which have traveled safely in PG territory. The game maker has had several forays beyond its gaming consoles, although film ventures only proved that making video games was what Nintendo did best.
The Legend of Zelda series tells the tale of Link, a young warrior who travels the fictional land of Hyrule to save Princess Zelda. It's a high-fantasy series that's set in a medieval environment, while the gameplay uses role-playing game (RPG) mechanics.
Video game and movie or TV crossovers have been bad for several reasons, but that could all change soon.
About two years after the first Zelda game was released, Nintendo licensed the production of The Legend of Zelda: The Complete Animated Series. The 13-episode series received a lukewarm welcome, much like the other TV shows and films the company licensed from its catalog of beloved video games.
With Netflix's eye for successful new TV shows and specials, there may be good reason for Legend of Zelda fans to get excited about the prospect of the franchise crossing over into television.
Netflix has made big bets on breaking away from the standard pilot-model of TV show cultivation by giving its subscribers seasons of new shows all at once. It often takes a few chapters before a reader falls in love with a book.
"[Netflix] arrived in town very aggressively and they up ended the model," said Electus founder Ben Silverman in a recent interview on Bloomberg. "Netflix is doing 'straight-to' series, which is a huge differentiator from the other networks who typically just buy a pilot, test out the pilot and then go to series."
