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Live-Action Final Fantasy XIV TV show announced


From the production company currently producing The Witcher and The Expanse:
Final Fantasy XIV Online is getting a TV show adaptation from Square Enix with Sony Pictures Television and Hivemind - marking the first time Final Fantasy will be realized in live-action. The series will be filled with Final Fantasy staples like chocobos, airships, beastmen, and of course, Cid, who has appeared in most Final Fantasy games.

The Final Fantasy XIV series will tell an original story but is directly inspired by the MMORPG's characters and world of Eorzea, which includes elements from many Final Fantasy games before it, such as magitek (originally from Final Fantasy VI).

“Final Fantasy XIV and Eorzea are the perfect gateway into Final Fantasy for longtime fans and newcomers alike,” said Sony Pictures Television Co-President Chris Parnell. “This show is about embracing and embodying all of the elements that have made the mythos such an endlessly captivating phenomenon, and it’s an immense honor to be bringing all of Eorzea’s iconic characters, settings, and concepts – including fan-favorites like Cid and, of course, the chocobos – to life for a television audience."

Specifically, the Final Fantasy XIV TV show's story will focus on "the struggle between magic and technology in a quest to bring peace to a land in conflict," and will include familiar characters directly from the game along with new ones. That's all we know so far, but the story of Final Fantasy XIV is so massive and detailed, the TV series could pull from any number of threads to craft a thoughtful original narrative, which is being written by Ben Lustig and Jake Thornton (Winter's Knight, The Wells Initiative).

Hivemind, the production company behind Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of The Witcher and Amazon's The Expanse, currently has a first-look deal with Amazon. Though nothing has officially been confirmed, it wouldn't be surprising to see Final Fantasy XIV land at Amazon or Netflix, given Hivemind's existing connection to the two streaming services. Amazon is currently developing a Wheel of Time adaptation with Sony TV, and is also developing a big-budget new take on Lord of the Rings - the scope of the Final Fantasy universe would make it a natural fit alongside those projects, unless the streamer doesn't want too many fantasy projects competing with each other.

There’s another point in Netflix’s court as well: Final Fantasy XIV: Dad of Light is already available on that streaming platform. It’s a light-hearted Japanese drama based on a true story about how a son and father reconnect by playing Final Fantasy XIV together.

"Television is the ideal medium to capture the extraordinary depth, sophisticated themes, and unparalleled imagination of Final Fantasy and its multitude of unique and fully realized characters," said Jason Brown, Hivemind co-founder and co-president. "We are working tirelessly to bring together artists from around the world who are united in honoring the extraordinary legacy of this franchise and its millions of fans around the world."

There's no release window just yet, but rest assured we'll report on that news as soon as it's available. Considering Final Fantasy XIV hasn't started production and has yet to secure a distributor, we're estimating at least a year before we see even a teaser trailer.

Always happy to see more of FFXIV's world (Eorzea), but after the recent anime ads, I don't think I'm alone in saying I think I'd rather have an anime set in Eorzea. But hey, it could be good! Fingers crossed.
 
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Kumomeme

Member
imagine tom holland as alphinaud lol

im curious how they gonna tackle this...need huge budget with all those cgi

hope they dont screw up miqote and especially lalafels
 

Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
Those saying "should be this other Final Fantasy instead" probably don't understand how much more successful and popular FFXIV is.
And XIV has lots of characters, not 5. It's more appropriate for a larger TV cast.

This seems like an awesome idea really.
 

Mr Nash

square pies = communism
This is going to be so cheesy. Really wish they'd use CG with additional stories from inside Eorzea that add extra to what's happening in-game.
 

ookami

Member
And XIV has lots of characters, not 5. It's more appropriate for a larger TV cast.
Well, the thing with FFXIV is that the protagonists can be so uneven and the story can sometimes be a real mess.
For a first attempt, in my opinion, the transition from FFXIV to ARR would be a great introduction.
 

D.Final

Banned
Interesting.

But, to be done well, it requires a high price.
Between a lot of CG, a good storyline, characters loyal to the game, and actors who manage to give the right depth to the whole.

It is very easy to miss even one of these aspects, but if they manage to keep everything in more or less optimal quality, it will be a good series.
(if this were not the case, he can only go another way)
 

Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
Interesting.

But, to be done well, it requires a high price.
Between a lot of CG, a good storyline, characters loyal to the game, and actors who manage to give the right depth to the whole.

It is very easy to miss even one of these aspects, but if they manage to keep everything in more or less optimal quality, it will be a good series.
(if this were not the case, he can only go another way)
If they treat it like the next Game of Thrones, it stands a chance at being amazing. It needs that kind of budget.

There's a chance that's the case. GoT was the biggest show in history after all. Every network is now searching for the next one. Final Fantasy certainly could be huge if given the right budget and director / writer.
 

D.Final

Banned
If they treat it like the next Game of Thrones, it stands a chance at being amazing. It needs that kind of budget.

There's a chance that's the case. GoT was the biggest show in history after all. Every network is now searching for the next one. Final Fantasy certainly could be huge if given the right budget and director / writer.

Exactly :messenger_smiling_with_eyes:

It could become something potentially very epic :messenger_smiling_hearts:
 

Kumomeme

Member
And XIV has lots of characters, not 5. It's more appropriate for a larger TV cast.

This seems like an awesome idea really.
also compared to other title, the game setting allow for other story in the same world that not strictly tied to the main game storyline and character..more freedom for writer and no need to worry much if they ruin something

plenty of story potential there
 
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Ol'Scratch

Member
After wading through all of the "why not this and why not that" , I can say that this could be really good. The game storyline is amazing and the structure of the game allows the versatility of crossovers and fan service from most other games as well as a good mix of fantasy and sci fi.
 

Ichabod

Banned
If they made one for FF XIII they could call it
ok17k9O.jpg
 
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