The Legend of Zelda Movie’s Rumored Composer Is Great News

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The live-action movie based on the popular Nintendo video game series, first announced in 2023, is still largely a secret. We don’t know much about the story or the movie’s style, except for hints from photos of Benjamin Evan Ainsworth and Bo Bragason dressed as Link and Princess Zelda. Fans are eagerly awaiting more information, and a possible detail emerged last month.

As a big film and gaming fan, I noticed something interesting – IMDb recently added John Paesano as the composer for the upcoming Legend of Zelda movie! Now, IMDb isn’t always 100% accurate since anyone can edit it, but Paesano’s previous work definitely makes him a strong candidate. If he is scoring the film, I think Zelda fans have a lot to look forward to. He seems like the kind of composer who would really understand and honor the incredible music already established in the games.

John Paesano Has History in the Film and Video Game Industries

You might recognize Marco Beltrami’s music even if you don’t know the name. He’s a popular composer for superhero films and shows, including the soundtracks for The Maze Runner series and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. He also composed the music for Netflix’s Daredevil and The Defenders, as well as the animated series Invincible.

Paesano has worked on many successful projects in both video games and visual media, like Mass Effect: Andromeda and Detroit: Become Human. He’s currently rumored to be involved with The Legend of Zelda. He’s especially well-known for his work on Spider-Man: Miles Morales, which earned him a BAFTA award in 2021.

Paesano creates music by combining traditional orchestral sounds with modern electronic elements. Considering the medieval fantasy world of The Legend of Zelda, the orchestral side will probably be more noticeable. However, since the games sometimes include science fiction themes, electronic music could fit well with robotic enemies like the Ancient Robots from Skyward Sword, the Sheikah Guardians from Breath of the Wild, and the Zonai Constructs from Tears of the Kingdom.

Paesano hasn’t worked directly with Nintendo before, but he clearly gets what makes video games work, suggesting he’ll treat the source material with respect. Plus, according to IMDb, Koji Kondo – the composer behind the iconic music of games like Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda – is joining the movie as a consultant. While it’s not yet known how much he’ll be involved, fans can likely look forward to hearing some classic Zelda themes in the film.

Music Is an Integral Part of The Legend of Zelda Franchise

Many The Legend of Zelda games are considered classics, and that’s why the music for the new movie needs to be absolutely perfect. Music has always been central to the series, shaping its stories and how the games are played. In The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and later in Majora’s Mask, Link’s ocarina wasn’t just an instrument – it was his main source of magic. By playing different songs, he could teleport, control the weather and time, and even reverse time, along with many other amazing abilities.

Following Majora’s Mask, the next 3D Legend of Zelda game, The Wind Waker, also used music as a key element. The game’s title refers to a silver wand that looked like a conductor’s baton, allowing Link to control the wind as he sailed the Great Sea with the King of Red Lions. Even Skyward Sword, though named after a sword, prominently featured an instrument. In the Temple of Time, Zelda gave Link the Goddess’ Harp, which he used to reach crucial areas like the Gate of Time and the Silent Realm.

Instruments in The Legend of Zelda created some of the most memorable experiences in the games because they felt more engaging than typical gameplay. Unlike simply pressing buttons to perform actions, playing an instrument required players to manually input rhythms, making them truly feel like Link, something the games hadn’t fully achieved until then.

While newer Legend of Zelda games haven’t focused as much on musical instruments, music is still a key part of what makes the series special. Themes like the iconic melody that plays when you’ve completed a task are already well-known among players. Even if the Legend of Zelda movie doesn’t include a magical ocarina or harp, the music will need to be just as amazing as fans expect.

The Legend of Zelda Must Avoid The Super Mario Bros. Movie’s Mistakes

Nintendo fans are passionate about music, and this was clear in how they reacted to The Super Mario Bros. Movie. While Brian Tyler composed some fantastic original music for the film, many viewers felt that the inclusion of popular songs like “Holding Out For a Hero,” “Take On Me,” “Thunderstruck,” and “Mr. Blue Sky” didn’t quite fit.

As a big movie fan, I was pretty annoyed to find out those songs in The Super Mario Bros. Movie were almost an afterthought – they swapped out music Tyler Bates had originally written! Thankfully, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie used pop songs a lot less. I’m really hoping that means Nintendo got the message and will focus on a completely original score for the upcoming Legend of Zelda film. That’s what a Zelda movie deserves, you know?

Ball has been a fan of The Legend of Zelda for years and is truly excited about the prospect of adapting it into a live-action format. He actually tweeted about wanting to do this back in 2010, well before Nintendo even thought about it. This enthusiasm is a welcome change, as many recent video game adaptations have been made by people who didn’t seem to care much for—or even disliked—the original games.

T.S. Nowlin, who collaborated with director Wes Ball on The Maze Runner films, is co-writing The Legend of Zelda movie, making it reasonable to think composer Adam Paesano might also be involved. Even if a recent online update about Paesano is incorrect, fans can still be optimistic that Ball will find a talented composer to create music fitting for the beloved Legend of Zelda series.

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2026-05-31 16:58