Sam Neill to Play Role in Sony Pictures' Legend of Zelda Movie, Dichen Lachman and Yvonne Strahovski Also Confirmed
The late great Sam Neill will reportedly make a posthumous appearance in Sony Pictures’ forthcoming Legend of Zelda film, with Dichen Lachman and Yvonne Strahovski also confirmed to star.
Sources alerted Deadline of the news, which the outlet published on August 6 — the same day that Uli Latukefu was revealed to play the beloved game series’ big bad, Ganondorf.
Thus far, nothing is known about what role Neill will play in the movie, and neither Sony nor Neill’s team could be reached for comment. Both Sony and Nintendo have been tight-lipped regarding news about the project, but there are a few things we do know thus far.
Benjamin Evan Ainsworth is set to play Link, as officially revealed by Nintendo in November 2025, while Bo Bragason will take on the role of Princess Zelda. Footage from the movie’s set also leaked online around this time, showing an actor who appears to be Dichen Lachman playing Impa. Deadline is now able to confirm that she is, indeed, protraying Impa in the film, with Yvonne Strahovski also confirmed to play a "queen" character, though nothing else about her role was shared.
Sam Neill died on July 13, 2026 in Sydney, Australia at 78 years old. The prolific actor is best known for his performance as Dr. Alan Grant in three Jurassic Park movies, as well as Chester Campbell in the historical drama series Peaky Blinders.
Neill’s death was described as “sudden and unexpected” in a statement shared to his official Instagram account at the time, which confirmed that he “surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life.”
Neill is one of the better-known stars involved in the Legend of Zelda movie, with Aisnworth and Bragason being relatively fresh faces. Australian actor Uli Latukefu has appeared in a fair few big productions, best known for playing a young Dwayne Johnson in the NBC comedy Young Rock and Byamba in Netflix’s Marco Polo series.
Bragason notably starred in BBC One’s Three Girls drama series and historical fantasy romp Renegade Nell on Disney+. You’ve probably seen Ainsworth in the latest season of House of the Dragon, where he shines as Prince Daeron Targaryen, a young prince trapped between a rock and a hard place, to say the least.
The Legend of Zelda is scheduled to hit theaters on April 30, 2027. For now, fans can look forward to the Ocarina of Time remake, which fans believe will release in November this year in direct competition with the highly-anticipated GTA 6.
Image Credits: David Zorrakino/Europa Press via Getty Image
Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.