Fans have not seen the final movie featuring Sam Neill on the big screen. Before his death at age 78 on July 13, the beloved Jurassic Park star completed several projects that will now arrive posthumously, including a surprising role in the live-action The Legend of Zelda movie.
According to Deadline, the upcoming releases make the question of Sam Neill’s final movie especially poignant. Depending on release schedules, his last appearance could take audiences into the fantasy world of Hyrule, the monster-filled universe of Godzilla and Kong, or a romantic comedy—an unusually varied farewell for an actor whose career stretched across more than five decades.
The Final Movie Featuring Sam Neill Could Take Him Into the World of ‘Zelda’
Neill completed his role in The Legend of Zelda before production wrapped in April, though details about his character remain under wraps. The live-action adaptation stars Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link and Bo Bragason as Princess Zelda, with Dichen Lachman reportedly playing Impa and Yvonne Strahovski joining as a queen character. Wes Ball directs the film, which Sony and Nintendo plan to release in theaters in 2027.
Zelda will become one of several final opportunities for audiences to see Neill on screen. He also completed work on Godzilla x Kong: Supernova and The Last Resort, a romantic comedy starring Daisy Ridley and Alden Ehrenreich. With multiple performances still waiting for release, it remains unclear which project will ultimately hold the distinction of becoming his final screen appearance.
His Last Roles Echo a Career Built on Adventure and Variety
There is something fitting about Neill potentially saying goodbye through another large-scale adventure. Generations of moviegoers knew him best as paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant, the calm but frequently overwhelmed hero who faced living dinosaurs in 1993’s Jurassic Park. He returned to the role in Jurassic Park III and, decades later, reunited with the original stars for Jurassic World Dominion in 2022.
Yet Neill never belonged to just one kind of movie. His career moved through thrillers, dramas, horror, television, and comedy, with later appearances in projects including Peaky Blinders, Apples Never Fall, and The Twelve. His remaining films seem to reflect that same range: a fantasy adaptation, a monster blockbuster, and a romantic comedy. Whether Zelda ultimately becomes the Sam Neill final movie or another project earns that bittersweet distinction, fans will have several more chances to watch him perform. For an actor forever associated with one of cinema’s greatest adventure franchises, a final journey through a few more imaginative worlds feels appropriately nostalgic.