It’s all about learning and creating an engaging universe for filmmakerWes Ball, who will next take audiences into the vibrant yet dangerous world ofKingdom of the Planet of the Apeson May 8. In the past, the director stood behind the entireThe Maze Runnertrilogy, pulling audiences into a dystopian world filled with impressive effects. Up next, Ball will be backing the live-action cinematic adaptation ofThe Legend of Zelda, based on theuber-popular video game series of the same name. During a chat with Collider’sPerri Nemiroff, Ball opened up about the fantastical world that he’s welcoming audiences into with his upcoming project, what he’s looking for in the actor who will play Link, and shared what he learned from his first four features that will help him handle such a gargantuan undertaking.
“The truth is, I think you learn something on every movie,” Ball says of his time in the industry, adding:
“The Maze Runnermovies wereahugetraining ground for mejust in terms of execution and working in the studio system and dealing with actors.It was my first time working with actors, all that kind of stuff. This is only my fourth movie so I’ve learned atonon this movie in particular.”
At the end of the day, the director says it’s all about the experience that you can deliver to your audience. When asked if he picked up any specific skills in makingKingdom of the Planet of the Apesthat might help him withZeldahe said: “There’s nothing specific other than just put money on the screen,try to tell a good story, and create a world that people want to visit. That’s what we’ll take forward.”
The Search For Live-Action Link
Yes, the game and film are both titledThe Legend of Zelda,but almost anyone who knows remotelyanything at all about the storylineknows that the character Link is really the main player. Because of this, Ball will need to be especially choosey of who he casts in the fan-favorite role. Speaking about his background in casting, having worked in the past with such notable names asDylan O’Brien(The Maze Runnerfranchise) andOwen Teague(Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes), Ball explained:
“Casting for me is— I always work with awesome casting directors. That’s the start. But casting is instinct for me. I don’t overanalyze it. Almost all the casting I’ve ever done so far has been, ‘That’s them!’I almost know immediately. The only one I didn’t was Dylan. [Laughs] I had to kind of work on that. But I don’t know. It’s like with Owen, almost in the first five seconds I said, ‘That’s him.’
So I kind oftrust that instinct, and I don’t try to overanalyze it. And then, just find good people because you’re working really hard. It’s impossible making a movie, it’s really difficult, andyou just want to be with people that you want to be around and that has each other’s backs. I’ve been lucky in regard with casting.”
As of right now, no casting announcements have been made for Ball’sThe Legend of Zeldaadaptation, but you can stay tuned to Collider for more information. Check out Nemiroff’s full interview with the filmmaker above andlearn everything there is to know aboutKingdom of the Planet of the Apesbefore it stomps into theaters on May 8.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Many years after the reign of Caesar, a young ape goes on a journey that will lead him to question everything he’s been taught about the past and make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.
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