Square Co., LTD and Columbia Pictures Team up to Release First
Computer-Generated, Animated Motion Picture With Photo-Real Human Characters
Movie to be Released in 2001
TOKYO, JAPAN, November 4, 1998 -- Square Co., Ltd., creator of the
immensely popular Final Fantasy(R) role-playing interactive entertainment
series, is breaking new ground with the production of the first
computer-generated, animated motion picture with photo-real human
characters. The Tokyo-based Square Co., Ltd. announced today that it has
signed an agreement with Columbia Pictures for the distribution of Final
Fantasy: The Movie, which is scheduled for release in 2001. Columbia
Pictures will distribute the film throughout the world with the
exception of Japan and Asia. Gaga-Humax will distribute the movie in
Japan.
"Columbia Pictures is extremely pleased to be distributing Hironobu
Sakaguchi's brilliantly directed Final Fantasy: The Movie," stated Chris
Lee, president of production at Columbia Pictures. "Those of us who have
witnessed the phenomenal success of Final Fantasy VII on the
PlayStation game console are delighted to be part of bringing the film
version to the public."
The fully digitized computer-generated film is being produced in Hawaii.
Set on Earth in the year 2065, the movie is inspired by its interactive
entertainment counterpart, embodying an "ultimate fantasy" story about
life and death. This will be the first attempt in movie-making history
to simulate human emotions and movements through computer graphics that
are more real than any current animated graphics.
"Final Fantasy: The Movie will be the realization of a dream to create a
brand new form of entertainment uniting computer games and motion
pictures, using the latest in CG animation technology," said Hironobu
Sakaguchi, director of Final Fantasy: The Movie. "With this film, I want
to create entertainment that touches the imagination of new generations
by setting the viewer on an exciting voyage of personal discovery,"
Sakaguchi added. Sakaguchi also serves as President of Square USA, with
studios in Los Angeles and Honolulu.
Al Reinert, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his work on
Apollo 13, has transformed Sakaguchis vision and ideas into a
screenplay that reflects the resilience of the human spirit.
Square Co., Ltd. is the leading third-party developer and publisher of
home video game console software in Japan with annual sales of more than
US $310 million (41.4 billion yen [3/98]). Square Co., Ltd. became
famous for its role-playing games, including its world-renowned Final
Fantasy(tm) series, which has sold more than 18 million units to date, and
now publishes other titles under the Square Soft(R) brand spanning all
genres. Square Co., Ltd. is based in Tokyo, Japan and maintains a branch
office in Osaka.