[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https://www.nme.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/sam-neill@2000×1270.jpg”]
Sam Neill’s final on-screen performance will be in ‘The Legend Of Zelda’
Other members of the cast include stars of ‘Severance’ and ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’
The late Sam Neill is reportedly set to have his final on-screen performance in the upcoming Legend Of Zelda film adaptation.
Sony first announced in 2023 that it was joining forces with Nintendo to co-finance a Zelda film, and it was later revealed that the script was being written by T.S. Nowlin (The Maze Runner), and Wes Ball (Planet of the Apes) was onboard to direct.
The movie is inspired by the hit Legend of Zelda gaming franchise, created by Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, and details about the plot and the cast have remained under wraps.
Recently, it was confirmed that Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (The Haunting of Bly Manor) would be taking on the lead role of Link and Bo Bragason (Renegade Nell) would be playing Princess Zelda.
The late Sam Neill will star in the live-action ‘LEGEND OF ZELDA’ movie.
It is his final on-screen performance.
(Source: Deadline) pic.twitter.com/yg8sOORrpo
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) August 6, 2026
Since then, more details about the cast have gradually emerged, with Australian actor Uli Latukefu (Young Rock) being announced as playing villain Ganondorf. Now, rumours have emerged that the late Sam Neill will also be a part of the cast.
According to Deadline, sources say that the Jurassic Park star will feature in the film, and it will likely mark his final on-screen performance. The reports have not yet been confirmed by Sony, and it has not yet been released who the actor will play in the blockbuster.
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Neill’s death was confirmed by his family on social media on July 13, and while no cause of death was given at the time, he did previously share he was cancer-free after being diagnosed with blood cancer in 2022.
A few days after his passing, Philip Grenz, who represented the New Zealand actor for 19 years, confirmed that Neill died from pneumonia.
View this post on Instagram
Neill was known for a number of films and TV series, including horror classic Event Horizon, Oscar-winning drama The Piano, and hit series Peaky Blinders. His most famous role, however, was that of Dr. Alan Grant in 1993’s Jurassic Park. He would reprise the role twice more, in 2001’s Jurassic Park III and in 2022’s Jurassic World Dominion.
The Legend Of Zelda film is slated to be released in cinemas worldwide on May 7 2027, and other members of the cast reportedly include The Handmaid’s Tale‘s Yvonne Strahovski and Severance‘s Dichen Lachman. The former is slated to play a queen character, and the latter is playing Zelda’s bodyguard and advisor, Impa.
More details about the cast and the plot of the film are expected to be shared at a later date.
Since Neill’s passing, Steven Spielberg and Laura Dern have both paid tribute to their Jurassic Park co-star.
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The late Sam Neill is reportedly set to have his final on-screen performance in the upcoming Legend Of Zelda film adaptation.
Sony first announced in 2023 that it was joining forces with Nintendo to co-finance a Zelda film, and it was later revealed that the script was being written by T.S. Nowlin (The Maze Runner), and Wes Ball (Planet of the Apes) was onboard to direct.
The movie is inspired by the hit Legend of Zelda gaming franchise, created by Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, and details about the plot and the cast have remained under wraps.
Recently, it was confirmed that Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (The Haunting of Bly Manor) would be taking on the lead role of Link and Bo Bragason (Renegade Nell) would be playing Princess Zelda.
The late Sam Neill will star in the live-action ‘LEGEND OF ZELDA’ movie.
It is his final on-screen performance.
(Source: Deadline) pic.twitter.com/yg8sOORrpo
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) August 6, 2026
Since then, more details about the cast have gradually emerged, with Australian actor Uli Latukefu (Young Rock) being announced as playing villain Ganondorf. Now, rumours have emerged that the late Sam Neill will also be a part of the cast.
According to Deadline, sources say that the Jurassic Park star will feature in the film, and it will likely mark his final on-screen performance. The reports have not yet been confirmed by Sony, and it has not yet been released who the actor will play in the blockbuster.
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Neill’s death was confirmed by his family on social media on July 13, and while no cause of death was given at the time, he did previously share he was cancer-free after being diagnosed with blood cancer in 2022.
A few days after his passing, Philip Grenz, who represented the New Zealand actor for 19 years, confirmed that Neill died from pneumonia.
View this post on Instagram
Neill was known for a number of films and TV series, including horror classic Event Horizon, Oscar-winning drama The Piano, and hit series Peaky Blinders. His most famous role, however, was that of Dr. Alan Grant in 1993’s Jurassic Park. He would reprise the role twice more, in 2001’s Jurassic Park III and in 2022’s Jurassic World Dominion.
The Legend Of Zelda film is slated to be released in cinemas worldwide on May 7 2027, and other members of the cast reportedly include The Handmaid’s Tale‘s Yvonne Strahovski and Severance‘s Dichen Lachman. The former is slated to play a queen character, and the latter is playing Zelda’s bodyguard and advisor, Impa.
More details about the cast and the plot of the film are expected to be shared at a later date.
Since Neill’s passing, Steven Spielberg and Laura Dern have both paid tribute to their Jurassic Park co-star.
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