A recently deleted Instagram post by cinematographer Gyula Pados briefly surfaced online, showing a clapboard for the upcoming live-action The Legend of Zelda film that included an artist’s rendition of Link and the production codename "Umami." The image was preserved and reshared on social platforms by accounts including Wario64 on April 19, 2026, before the original post was removed.
The clapboard artwork appears to depict actor Benjamin Evan Ainsworth in the role of Link.
The face on the drawing closely resembles Ainsworth, who has been reported as the actor tapped to portray the character.
Visual cues on the board echo design elements associated with The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, while earlier set photos released by the production showed Princess Zelda in a blue dress more commonly linked stylistically to Breath of the Wild.
Pados, credited as the film’s director of photography in the shared image, brings a broad resume to the project.
He has worked across European cinema for more than two decades and served as cinematographer on the concert-feature film Metallica: Through the Never.
Pados has also collaborated previously with director Wes Ball on the Maze Runner films and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, continuing a professional relationship into the Zelda production.
The deleted post and subsequent resharing illustrate how on-set imagery can spread quickly across social platforms.
The clapboard image itself served as a rare, tangible glimpse at early costume and character concepts, showing that the film’s visual team is drawing on established Zelda series aesthetics.
The Legend of Zelda remains one of Nintendo’s flagship franchises and a cornerstone of the Nintendo Switch lineup.
While Nintendo and the film’s production partners have shared limited official detail about plot or release timing, images like the clapboard artwork offer the first confirmed look at how the live-action adaptation is interpreting series designs on-screen.
For industry observers and fans tracking the adaptation, the resurfaced clapboard underscores the controlled roll-out of production materials and the continuing interest in how Nintendo properties are adapted for film.
The clapboard artwork appears to depict actor Benjamin Evan Ainsworth in the role of Link.
The face on the drawing closely resembles Ainsworth, who has been reported as the actor tapped to portray the character.
Visual cues on the board echo design elements associated with The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, while earlier set photos released by the production showed Princess Zelda in a blue dress more commonly linked stylistically to Breath of the Wild.
Pados, credited as the film’s director of photography in the shared image, brings a broad resume to the project.
He has worked across European cinema for more than two decades and served as cinematographer on the concert-feature film Metallica: Through the Never.
Pados has also collaborated previously with director Wes Ball on the Maze Runner films and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, continuing a professional relationship into the Zelda production.
The deleted post and subsequent resharing illustrate how on-set imagery can spread quickly across social platforms.
The clapboard image itself served as a rare, tangible glimpse at early costume and character concepts, showing that the film’s visual team is drawing on established Zelda series aesthetics.
The Legend of Zelda remains one of Nintendo’s flagship franchises and a cornerstone of the Nintendo Switch lineup.
While Nintendo and the film’s production partners have shared limited official detail about plot or release timing, images like the clapboard artwork offer the first confirmed look at how the live-action adaptation is interpreting series designs on-screen.
For industry observers and fans tracking the adaptation, the resurfaced clapboard underscores the controlled roll-out of production materials and the continuing interest in how Nintendo properties are adapted for film.