Earlier this month, Sony and Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda live-action movie began filming in New Zealand. It was only matter of time before clips from the film were leaked, and now it appears that the first footage may reveal that an actress from Severance is playing Impa.
The brief footage posted on Instagram shows actress Bo Bragason in character as Princess Zelda as she meets with a performer who seems to be portraying Impa. The other actress in question has been identified by fans as Dichen Lachman, who is known for her role as Ms. Casey in Severance. Lachman has extensive experience in genre film and TV shows, including appearances in Altered Carbon, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Supergirl, The 100, and Jurassic World Dominion. This is just rumor for now, though, as no official casting announcement has been made for the Zelda movie beyond the two main leads.
Impa has been a supporting character since the very first Legend of Zelda game, although her role has greatly differed. She has been portrayed as a protector or even a bodyguard for Princess Zelda. A much younger version of Impa is featured in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.
This leaked footage has led some fans to speculate that the film will adapt The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It’s also possible that the movie will draw from several different eras of Zelda for a streamlined adaptation. But for now, we can only speculate.
Benjamin Evan Ainsworth will portray Link in the movie, and his role was revealed in July of this year alongside Bragason’s casting as Zelda. For now, they are the only two cast members officially confirmed by Nintendo and Sony Pictures, which is producing the film, alongside Nintendo and Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes helmer Wes Ball is directing the film from a script by Pokemon: Detective Pikachu writer Derek Connolly.
In June, Nintendo pushed back the release of the Legend of Zelda movie. The current release date is May 7, 2027.