A live-action film based on Nintendo's Legend of Zelda game series will hit big screens around the world on March 26, 2027, the Japanese gaming giant said on Friday.

Nintendo made the announcement on "Nintendo Today!", a new app for fans that was launched on Thursday.

A short video posted to the app reveals the release date for the very first film in the Zelda universe, which was created in 1986 by Shigeru Miyamoto, the co-producer of Super Mario.

Legend of Zelda games usually features protagonist Link, a heroic elf warrior who swordfights his way through a monster-filled fantasy world to aid Princess Zelda.

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The highly popular series has sold more than 140 million games worldwide.

Its latest installment – 2023's Tears of the Kingdom – became the fastest-selling in the saga's history.

Nintendo announced in November 2023 that a film was in the works, directed by Wes Ball of the Maze Runner trilogy.

Also on board as a producer is Avi Arad, a veteran of several Spiderman movies, while Miyamoto will also contribute.

The project is a big-screen first for Zelda, although it was adapted for a 13-episode animated series in 1989.

Nintendo's most recent movie, Super Mario Bros., saw the mustachioed plumber's $1.36-billion box office beaten only by the Barbie film in 2023.

A sequel is already in the works for April 2026.

The previous attempt to film Mario in 1993 was a flop that put Nintendo off movie adaptions for years.

At the time, the company simply sold the rights to its hero to Hollywood without taking a hand in production.

But the success of the closely supervised recent movie has prompted Nintendo to rethink its strategy.