We’ve been watching a steady trickle of set footage from The Legend Of Zelda movie, and the latest whispers have fans convinced they've seen the franchise's big bad in the wild. Per GamesRadar, a widely shared clip from the film’s New Zealand shoot appears to show Uli Latukefu — who has now been revealed as Ganondorf — walking through a forest alongside Bo Bragason's Zelda and Dichen Lachman's Impa.
What Was Reported
According to GamesRadar, the discovery came from a Twitter user, @farourage, who pointed out a set video that has circulated online. The footage, which was shared by a film account the site identifies as @tonyolsenfilm, allegedly shows Latukefu — now confirmed as the actor playing Ganondorf — interacting casually in a forest with Bragason’s Zelda and Lachman’s Impa.
That appearance, if true, presents a more grounded interpretation of Ganondorf than many fans might expect. GamesRadar notes Latukefu’s look in the clips appears to involve closely cropped hair, though "in some videos it does appear to be red, at least." This is contrasted in the report with the character’s more traditional portrayals — long red hair and, in recent games, a more exaggerated physicality.
The set footage isn’t the only fresh casting news. Per GamesRadar and reporting they cite from Deadline, the film’s known cast has grown beyond the two names originally confirmed, with Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link and Bo Bragason as Zelda previously the only certainties. GamesRadar relays Deadline's claims that Yvonne Strahovski will play a "Queen character" (described as "almost certainly the Queen of Hyrule"), and that Sam Neill, who the piece states died last month, is also part of the cast in an unspecified role.
GamesRadar also flags that the film's costumes "suggest Breath Of The Wild," though the outlet concedes the exact source material the movie adapts remains unclear. The report adds that the movie "releases on April 30, 2027."
The Source & Credibility
We’re treating this carefully. The claim that the clip features Latukefu comes via social sharing and fan sleuthing, and the wider casting details are credited by GamesRadar to Deadline. That mix of social media spotting and industry reporting is common in early movie coverage — but it requires a healthy dose of scepticism.
- Social Source: The initial identification was flagged by @farourage on Twitter, pointing to the widely shared set clip.
- Clip Host: The footage appears to have been posted publicly by an account identified in the report as @tonyolsenfilm.
- Industry Confirmation: GamesRadar ties cast confirmations to a Deadline report for some names, while the Latukefu-Ganondorf connection in the clip is a fan-read of set footage.
Take this with a pinch of salt: social clips can be misleading, context can be missing, and appearances on set don’t always reflect final on-screen portrayals. We previously explored early tips about Latukefu’s involvement in a separate write-up on our site — see our earlier coverage suggesting Uli Latukefu Could Be Playing Ganondorf for more on how these rumours have been developing. And for a sense of how set footage can fuel speculation, check out our look at other on-location leaks like the leaked Assassin’s Creed set footage that sparked its own round of theories.
What It Could Mean
If the person in those clips is indeed Uli Latukefu as Ganondorf, it suggests the filmmakers are leaning toward a more restrained, grounded take on the character — at least in parts of the production that were filmed in the forest. That doesn’t rule out more familiar, bombastic versions of the villain elsewhere in the movie, but it does indicate the film may be aiming for tonal variety.
There are other possibilities to consider, if true:
- It could be a set moment where the character is travelling incognito or early in the narrative before any fully realised villainous transformation.
- The on-set look may differ from the final, post-production design — hair colour, costuming and practical effects are frequently altered or augmented during editing and visual effects work.
- Even if Latukefu is present in that exact clip, we can’t confirm from the footage alone how large the role will be, how much screen time the character will receive, or how closely the portrayal will follow established lore.
In short: the clip could be an intriguing hint at the creative direction for Ganondorf, but it isn’t a definitive reveal by itself.
Why This Matters
Fans want signals. With the movie still described as "something of a mystery" by GamesRadar, any tangible piece of footage — even a short set video — becomes fuel for speculation. If those New Zealand clips genuinely show Uli Latukefu as Ganondorf, it would be one of the earliest on-set glimpses of the franchise’s antagonist and a concrete data point for theories about the film's tone and source material.
We’ll be keeping an eye on any further clips, confirmations or denials. Until then, enjoy the sleuthing — but remember to take social footage and second‑hand identifications with a grain of salt. If you’ve spotted something we missed, send it our way and we’ll investigate.
