Uli Latukefu, who played Dwayne Johnson in NBC’s cancelled Young Rock, has landed a major movie role.
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Per Deadline, the Australian actor will play Ganondorf, the central villain in Nintendo and Sony Pictures’ live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda.
Latukefu joins a cast led by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link and Bo Bragason as Princess Zelda. Wes Ball, who directed The Maze Runner films and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, directs the movie. Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto and producer Avi Arad serve as producers.
There May Be More Than One ‘Legend of Zelda’ Movie
Deadline reports that Latukefu has signed a multi-picture deal for the role. The agreement could allow him to return as Ganondorf in future films, although Nintendo and Sony have not announced any sequels.
So although it sadly doesn’t confirm a larger franchise beyond the first movie, there’s hope.
Latukefu gained recognition through Young Rock, the NBC comedy that chronicled different periods of Dwayne Johnson’s life. Latukefu portrayed a younger version of Johnson, while Johnson played a fictionalized version of himself. The series ran for three seasons before NBC canceled it in 2023.
The actor has also appeared in several major film and television productions. His credits include the superhero movie Black Adam, the horror film MaXXXine and the television series Marco Polo. His new role gives him one of his most prominent parts yet in a major Hollywood franchise.
Ganondorf ranks among the most recognizable villains in The Legend of Zelda video-game series. The character typically seeks power and control over Hyrule and frequently opposes Link and Princess Zelda.
Nintendo and Sony announced their live-action Legend of Zelda project in 2023. Ball directs the film from a screenplay that has involved T.S. Nowlin. The production represents Nintendo’s latest move to bring one of its flagship game properties to the big screen.
The Legend of Zelda currently has a theatrical release date of April 30, 2027. The production has completed filming and moved into post-production.