Why has this idea never been conceived before?  And when it was (eternal gratitude goes to artist Matt Vince for reaching into our collective dreamscapes and creating the concept posters that gave us all nerdgasms), why wasn't a petition like this initiated?  

We all know that video games don't always crossover onto the big screen very well (we all remember the train wreck that was the 1993 movie Super Mario Bros.), but it doesn't have to be that way.  I can think of no better duo to completely reverse this paradigm than Studio Ghibli and Nintendo's Legend of Zelda franchise.  

Studio Ghibli is one of world's most acclaimed film studios, producing such enduring classics as Castle in the Sky, Grave of the Fireflies, My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Howl's Moving Castle, just to name a few.  Every aspect of Studio Ghibli's movies--from the music score, the animation, the plot, and the character development--is so beautifully crafted as if to reflect that the making of the movie truly was a labor of love.  Studio Ghibli has gained such a reputation for phenomenal films that just the name of its legendary founder, Hayao Miyazaki, is synonymous with a masterpiece.  American film critic Roger Ebert once suggested that Miyazaki may be the best animation filmmaker in history, praising the depth and artistry of his films.  If any studio can bring a beloved video game franchise to success on the big screen, it's Studio Ghibli.

Nintendo's Legend of Zelda is one of the oldest franchises in video gaming history, and currently one of the most popular.  Since the original The Legend of Zelda was released in 1986, the series has expanded to include 18 entries along with several other video game, manga, and television spin-offs.  As of 2011, the series has sold over 62 million copies.  Its characters, storylines, music, and sweeping adventure settings have forever endeared the franchise to millions of fans the world over.  

In late 2015, artist Matt Vince posted three concept posters on his Tumblr account of what a Legend of Zelda film would look like if it were produced by Studio Ghibli.  "Everything from the character design to the color palate looks true to the Studio Ghibli tradition, and these could easily all be official posters."  The ensuing reaction was an unmitigated explosion of nerds' heads:  Facebook and Twitter erupted, forums cried out, and, yes, tears were shed.  The only thing that could match the intensity and height of our excitement was the magnitude and depth of our sorrow that such a thing was only a figment our imaginations, something only to be wished for, something only to be talked about.  It seemed too good to be true; a dream of which we could only whisper, and anything more than that would cause the dream would vanish because it was so tender and fragile.

The time for talking and whispering is over.  The time for action is now.  This is a petition to let Nintendo and Studio Ghibli know that there are multitudes of loyal fans who want to see such a movie become a reality.  With the right people, it's hard to believe anything less than a resounding success is a possibility with a Zelda x Studio Ghibli crossover.  As Allison Keene wrote, "Truly, who better to adapt such a beloved franchise in a way that would feel true to the games at their best? Both visually and emotionally, The Legend of Zelda feels like it would be a perfect fit with Studio Ghibli’s aesthetic."  I couldn't agree more -- I never knew I wanted something so much, and this petition is for all fans who feel the same.