April Fools' Alert #3: Legend of Zelda movie by IGN

by Alexander Sliwinski { Apr 1st 2008 at 10:30AM }

IGN has a little fun this April Fools' Day with its exclusive Legend of Zelda movie trailer. The preview plays out like one giant cliché with fan service and a distinctive Uwe quality to it. We'd love to embed the preview and show you, but the code is broken and all we seem to get is some PSP-licker (and game butt-rubber) hosting a show.

Last year we had another impressive Zelda-inspired April Fools' joke with a preview for a Legend of Zelda game set in a future/Star Wars version of Hyrule. We can't help but think IGN's trailer would have been better (and more over the top) had Link been walking down the street of some poor provincial town and people started bursting out singing like the opening of La Belle et la Bête Beauty and the Beast.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Tags: aprilfools08, ign, legendofzelda, movie, trailer, zelda

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Gokie @ Apr 1st 2008 10:37AM

As terrible as that trailer looked, I would still absolutely watch the movie if it was real. >.>

Jeff @ Apr 1st 2008 1:21PM

Dude it aint fake, And that is not the first trailer Either. THIS IS NOT AN APRIL FOOLS JOKE. I saw the first trailer a year ago, and they just updated their website. It used to have the old trialer and a mailing list. This is a real fan made movie.

Mike @ Apr 1st 2008 2:07PM

Jeff must see pink elephants and Elvis on a daily basis.

severian00 @ Apr 1st 2008 4:23PM

Jeff, do you think it's a coincidence that it was updated a year to the day on April 1st and has a release date of April 1st 2009? Come on man.

jefffff @ Apr 1st 2008 8:58PM

I did'nt see ita it last year on april 1st. I siad a year ago cuz I do not remember the exact date. It was probably more like 2 years ago anyway. Besides you think they really went to all of that trouble. All of that CGI and location shooting just for a little joke.

Xeno Mezphy @ Apr 2nd 2008 5:21PM

...yes?

Via Rainfallfilms.com:

UPDATE FROM IGN: "April 2, 2008 - 12:01 a.m. PST. Yup, you guessed it. The Legend of Zelda trailer featured above is part of an elaborate April Fool's Day prank. Check back in later today for more details on the IGN/Rainfall Films collaboration that resulted in this "love it or hate it" piece of videogame movie history."

Jennifer @ Apr 2nd 2008 5:25PM

Here is todays update on Rainfall Films...

UPDATE FROM IGN: "April 2, 2008 - 12:01 a.m. PST. Yup, you guessed it. The Legend of Zelda trailer featured above is part of an elaborate April Fool's Day prank. Check back in later today for more details on the IGN/Rainfall Films collaboration that resulted in this "love it or hate it" piece of videogame movie history."

UPDATE FROM RAINFALL: We'd like to thank everyone who wrote in asking about the trailer! We will be responding to all of you as soon as we can, but in the meantime keep your eyes on this site for a special update later today.

Mr. Scolex @ Apr 1st 2008 10:38AM

I was just about to send this in. Props to IGN though, it looks like some work went into this.

goboColossus @ Apr 1st 2008 10:39AM

Props to the excellent execution, beats the pants off the presentation of that "Future" Zelda.

Unfortunately it all looks and feels like SciFi Channel Original.

Framit @ Apr 1st 2008 10:43AM

More like "The Spice Network Original". I was waiting for the sleazy saxophone and tunics coming off.

xFenixKnightx @ Apr 1st 2008 10:45AM

LOL yea I noticed that bout an hour ago, but I didnt even look into it. Too busy checking out all the GTAIV coverage.

Ben Dejo @ Apr 1st 2008 10:47AM

I was hoping for the most epic of rick rolls.

Roto13 @ Apr 1st 2008 10:47AM

They really put a lot of effort into this.

Ben @ Apr 1st 2008 10:48AM

They did a really great job on that trailer! If it weren't April Fools Day I might have been convinced that it was real.

Chameleon @ Apr 1st 2008 10:49AM

chobot is kind of useless.

but by the grace of all that is holy, she is easy on the eyes ....

NvM @ Apr 1st 2008 10:56AM

That trailer did a few things right, but they mostly did things wrong.
The right was mostly decent CGI for a prank, the rest was Uwe Boll stuff.

xFenixKnightx @ Apr 1st 2008 11:02AM

Needs more Peter Jackson...

aristokrat @ Apr 1st 2008 11:03AM

That Link looks far to manly. Link doesn't have a square jaw. Link doesn't have shoulders. Come on now. How about getting one of those cosplaying cuties to play Link instead?

Saccia @ Apr 1st 2008 11:05AM

They went so far as to even register a fake website for the movie studio: http://www.rainfallfilms.com

JohnnyW @ Apr 1st 2008 11:13AM

Dude, Rainfall films are a REAL company. They're the guys whom made the trailer. You seriously don't think IGN themselves made that do you?

John @ Apr 1st 2008 11:05AM

They did a nice job. Props for IGN, they put some work into this. They even created a site www.rainfallfilms.com.

capt_carl @ Apr 1st 2008 11:07AM

I feel like such a fanboy when I say I'd go see it in a heartbeat. but seriously, get one of those cute chicks from like a month or so ago to play Link.

Nice one IGN.

Saccia @ Apr 1st 2008 11:10AM

Are you guys sure this is a joke? It's rather elaborate.

Registrant:
Domain Discreet
ATTN: rainfallfilms.com
P.O. Box 278
Yarmouth, NS B5A 4B2
CA
Email: ef58bb9a0a14115101abcadec3093ac9@domaindiscreet.com

Registrar Name....: REGISTER.COM, INC.
Registrar Whois...: whois.register.com
Registrar Homepage: www.register.com

Domain Name: rainfallfilms.com

Created on..............: Sat, Feb 03, 2007
Expires on..............: Tue, Feb 03, 2009
Record last updated on..: Mon, Feb 04, 2008

Administrative Contact:
Domain Discreet
ATTN: rainfallfilms.com
P.O. Box 278
Yarmouth, NS B5A 4B2
CA
Phone: 1-902-7495331
Email: ef58bb960a14115100036aeb5160566b@domaindiscreet.com

Technical Contact:
Domain Discreet
ATTN: rainfallfilms.com
P.O. Box 278
Yarmouth, NS B5A 4B2
CA
Phone: 1-902-7495331
Email: ef58bb9b0a141151016e5ba621930ba1@domaindiscreet.com

DNS Servers:

ns2.cedant.com
ns.cedant.com

xFenixKnightx @ Apr 1st 2008 11:15AM

Calm the fudge down buddy. If you go to IMDB.com there is no such Legend of Zelda movie. If there was, especially one that looks that far along then there would be cast and director info on it there.

Zilch...

Bobby Blackwolf @ Apr 1st 2008 11:18AM

They're a real production company that IGN hired to create the spoof. If you look on their site, they mainly do SFX-laden short films on a "modest budget" (so they say.)

T @ Apr 1st 2008 1:08PM

@xFenixKnightx: Be wary of what IMDB does and doesn't have. There was a time when both Emma Watson and Kobe Bryant were slated to be on a season of Power Rangers together.

There was enough gullible people in the world that the Emma Watson rumor made it to the more prominent Harry Potter fan sites, while sites as big as Sports Illustrated were reporting the Kobe Bryant casting decision.

And just as a premetive response: No. This was not even close to April.

Slaziman @ Apr 1st 2008 11:12AM

ROFL, the battles and CGI don't look that bad. But that Ganondorf is damn cheesy.

Geist @ Apr 1st 2008 12:37PM

All I think when I see him is "Crazy Irishman! Run!"

Mr Khan @ Apr 1st 2008 3:56PM

It was actually a very faithful representation of the in-game Ganondorf, i felt. Looks horrible when played by a real person, but its very close to the in-game model

Give those chaps an A for effort, though, looked like a relatively faithful movie

Marek Hryc @ Apr 1st 2008 11:15AM

Maybe the april fools joke is that it REAL?!?!?!

...No...I can dream though, it looked pretty awesome.

Slaziman @ Apr 1st 2008 11:16AM

http://www.rainfallfilms.com/showreel/

ROFL that's pretty damn elaborate, they made some clips of other cliche plot movies, haha.

Flawless victory.

xFenixKnightx @ Apr 1st 2008 11:20AM

MK quote

+1 :)

Cell @ Apr 1st 2008 11:17AM

My favorite part of the trailer is that Link did not say one single word. Talk about faithfulness to the source material! Great April Fool's joke!

Geist @ Apr 1st 2008 12:38PM

I love that his father/guardian at the beginning said 'speak to no one.' It's like he took it to heart.

"WHY WON'T YOU SAY ANYTHING LINK?!"
*Link scribbles on a piece of paper*
-not allowed to, sorry-

fyreblazer @ Apr 1st 2008 11:19AM

That trailer was so terrible that it makes me wanna actually see this. Forget April Fools day, get the Sci-Fi channel on the phone.

Xeno Mezphy @ Apr 1st 2008 11:25AM

Damn you IGN for crushing my dreams!!!

Xeno Mezphy @ Apr 1st 2008 11:27AM

Also, this poster needs to exist... so I can buy it.

http://www.rainfallfilms.com/img_v2/zelda_poster.jpg

Kye BWii: 008 721 786 740 (fuck I hate friend codes) @ Apr 1st 2008 12:19PM

hello...

copy, paste, print shop, money, poster.

NothingShocking @ Apr 1st 2008 7:26PM

Yeah, that scheme will work. Just make sure you stay about 200ft away from the final printout and it will look just fine. :P

epsilon343 @ Apr 1st 2008 11:26AM

Got to hand it, that's probably the most elaborate and well done April Fools joke that I've seen in a long time. How long before it pops up on Youtube with people screaming about how there's a Zelda movie coming out, lol?

rockintom @ Apr 1st 2008 11:33AM

That was pretty awesome for an April fools joke. Wonder if maybe they'll do a short for the supposed release date, eh?

Jon @ Apr 1st 2008 11:36AM

Are you sure this is an April fools trailer? Part of the clip has been in the wild for a month now. It also seems to be pretty elaborate to be a prank. Regardless looks bloody awful.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=251951

Saccia @ Apr 1st 2008 11:51AM

Okay, the fact that it's been out for a month makes this NOT a good April Fools joke. Rehashing a joke clip on April Fools is just stupid.

Nigeria: Cody ChesnuTT Defense Force @ Apr 1st 2008 11:37AM

I would have cast Link as a girl.

ThornedVenom (Harley Quinn Defense Force) @ Apr 1st 2008 1:13PM

Same here, so that she could totally make out with Zelda.

Cluckyx @ Apr 1st 2008 11:42AM

This may well be the greatest one of the day. Some real effort and thought has gone into it.

The actual storyline is a masterpiece. It sort of takes bits for several games and almost gets it right. But confuses enough aspects and gets enough things wrong just enough to piss off the fanboys. You just know if they had mentioned the triforce it would have been called the triforge or something.

Subtle, perfect. Hilarious.