New Zealand actress Lydia Peckham has joined the cast of Nintendo and Sony’s live-action “The Legend of Zelda” adaptation, capping one of the busiest weeks of casting news since the project was announced.
Peckham reunites with director Wes Ball, whom she previously worked with on 2024’s “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.” Sources say studio representatives declined to comment, and the actress’s representatives could not be reached. Her role remains undisclosed, as does the plot of the film, which wrapped production in April.
The announcement follows a string of casting reveals across the past several days. Sam Neill was confirmed to appear in what is expected to be one of his final screen roles, a detail that carries added weight following the actor’s death. Uli Latukefu was revealed to play the villain Ganondorf, while Dichen Lachman and Yvonne Strahovski also joined the ensemble.
Sources indicate Lachman will play Impa, the bodyguard and advisor to Princess Zelda, portrayed by rising actress Bo Bragason, while Strahovski is believed to play a queen character, though her exact role has not been confirmed. Benjamin Evan Ainsworth rounds out the principal cast as Link.
Peckham is currently in high demand. She recently wrapped filming on Netflix’s “The Kennedys,” in which she plays Rosemary Kennedy, sister of John F. Kennedy. Her other recent credits include “Nuremberg” for Sony Pictures Classics, MGM+’s “Robin Hood” and the Prime Video action comedy “The Wrecking Crew” alongside Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa.
Much of the shoot took place across New Zealand, with principal photography spanning Wellington, Glenorchy and the Central Otago region near Poolburn Dam, the same landscape Peter Jackson used for “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto has also confirmed that the film’s global theatrical release has been moved up to April 30, 2027, from its previously scheduled May 7 date.
Based on one of the best-selling video game franchises of the past four decades, the film follows Link and Princess Zelda as they work to save the kingdom of Hyrule from the warlord-turned-demon king Ganon. The series, created by Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, has sold more than 150 million units since debuting in 1986.
