This year’s selection includes films that were produced with the intention of being blockbusters, but that fell short of most expectations and resulted in huge losses. The films include a live-action version of a popular video game and a film adaptation of a famous musical by the Shiki Theatre Company, all of which were disappointing failures despite the efforts put into their production. We will introduce some of these red-hot films that will leave their mark on the history of cinema. This is the second installment. (Text by Takeshi Terashima)
Final Fantasy” (2001)
Original title: Final Fantasy: Spirits Within Country of Origin: USA/Japan co-production Director/Archive Story: Hironobu Sakaguchi Screenplay: Al Reinert, Jeff Binter, Hironobu Sakaguchi Cast: Ming-Na Wen, Alec Baldwin, Steve Buscemi [Contents In the year 2065, mankind is in an unprecedented crisis when a mysterious invader, the Phantom, attacks with a meteorite. The phantom is unable to use any weapons and continues to make a small resistance, putting lives in danger…. Meanwhile, Sid, an old scientist, and Aki, a female scientist, discover a harmony wave that neutralizes the phantom, and search for eight life forms possessing it in order to save humanity. Meanwhile, the government is planning to use the ultimate weapon to destroy the phantom’s stronghold, a meteorite, to end the war at once and protect the earth. The true identity of the Phantom and the relationship between life waves are soon discovered. What will be the fate of the earth? …… The first film by Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of the popular “Final Fantasy” series of video games, this film was produced at a total cost of $137 million by Square (now Square Enix), led by Sakaguchi, and Hollywood. The film was a groundbreaking 3DCG science fiction film at the time, and won the Jury’s Special Award at the 2001 Japan Media Arts Festival. The year is 2065 on Earth. The story is set in a world where humanity is on the verge of extinction due to the invasion and proliferation of extraterrestrial life called “Phantom,” but it has nothing to do with the worldview of the game, and was widely scorned by game fans. In the U.S., where it was released in June 2001, the film was cancelled after only a few weeks. Its worldwide box office gross was $85.13 million, resulting in a huge loss at the box office. Three months later, the film was released in Japan, but it failed, partly due to poor box office in the U.S. and partly due to the misfortune of being overshadowed by the blockbuster success of Studio Ghibli’s “Spirited Away. As a result, Square posted huge losses and withdrew from the film business. The company was also forced to discontinue other animated TV shows, and was even forced to take a capital stake from Sony Computer Entertainment and other companies.
Takeshi Terashima