When Final Fantasy VII first gained massive mainstream attention from its sales and marketing, there were rumors that a Hollywood adaptation would be made. Actors like Brad Pitt and Leonardo Dicaprio were even said to be attached. Obviously, that film was never made and it was probably for the best. Video game movies in the '90s were usually horrible and it is pretty obvious that a Final Fantasy wouldn’t have gotten the film it deserves.
The animatedFinal Fantasy: The Spirits Within was released in 2001 but it was a catastrophic failure. It was an enjoyable science fiction film that gained a cult following and even influenced the likes of Mass Effect. Fans, however, are still hoping that there will be a big-budget Hollywood film that is in line with the likes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or Star Wars. Let’s take a look at 5 directors that take the job and 5 that definitely shouldn’t.
10 Should: Ron Howard
Former Happy Days actor turned director Ron Howard is one of the most celebrated for his work behind the camera in the world. He’s received critical acclaim for his work on Apollo 13, The Cinderella Man, Frost/Nixon and has received Academy Awards for A Beautiful Mind.
In addition to creating good character dramas, it is Howard’s work on the 1988 fantasy film Willow that makes him perfect for a Final Fantasy film. Willow was successful at combining a sense of wonder, humorous dialogue, and epic swashbuckling adventure that would be a perfect fit for Final Fantasy.
9 Shouldn’t: Hironobu Sakaguchi
Hironobu Sakaguchi is the man that created the Final Fantasy series. He is lovingly referred to as the “father of Final Fantasy” and he served as either a director or an executive producer to most of the games in the series up to Final Fantasy X.
Unfortunately, his one and only directing role for the CG movie Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within failed at the box-office - despite being a good sci-fi film. As a result, Square Pictures was closed and Sakaguchi stepped down from his role as the vice-president of the company. Sakaguchi went back to what he did best and formed his own studio called Mistwalker and developed the well-received Lost Odyssey for the Xbox 360 and The Last Story for the Wii.
8 Should: Rob Letterman
Rob Letterman was first known for his directing work on the animated movies Shark Tale and Monsters vs. Aliens Rob Letterman. He later successfully adapted Gulliver’s Travels and Goosebumps starring Jack Black. However, it is his recent work on the successful Pokémon Detective Pikachu that makes Letterman a perfect for a Final Fantasy movie.
The reason for this is because not only did he have a good understanding of the source material but he made it fun for newcomers too. That kind of skill is absolutely needed for an adaption for something as quirky and as Japanese as Final Fantasy.
7 Shouldn't: Michael Bay
Michael Bay has made a career out of directing summer blockbusters like Bad Boys, Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, and most notably the Transformers series and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies (which he only produced). While it is true those movies made a fortune at the box office, they weren’t well-received by fans of the franchises.
Bay is excellent at creating cinematic set-pieces but he’s not known for telling great stories. He's also infamous for taking liberties with the source material, which sours his name for purists. Nothing would upset the fanbase more than Bay completely disregarding character development for big-budget special effects.
6 Should: James Gunn
Even going back to his work on the Scooby-Doo film adaptions, director James Gunn has an aptitude for making ensemble casts work. He showcased this talent further with his writing on the 2004 Dawn of the Dead remake. However, it was the Guardians of the Galaxy films where he showcased his real talents for writing and directing character-driven stories in a sci-fi epic.
Guardians of the Galaxy proves that Gunn would be able to tune into exactly what makes the Final Fantasy so appealing to its fans. Games like Final Fantasy VI and VII worked because they had a cast of memorable characters, it wasn’t just about the rivalry between Cloud and Sephiroth.
5 Shouldn’t: Justin Kurzel
Justin Kurzel gained critical acclaim for his feature film debut with the true-crime drama Snowtown which was released in 2011. His more recent film another biographical drama called True History of the Kelly Gang has also been praised at its early showings at the Toronto International Film Festival. Unfortunately, Kurzel seemed to be out of his element directing the Assassin’s Creed movie.
He made the same mistakes that the first game by taking the viewer away from the historical elements and into the modern-day. As fans of the series know the modern-day aspects of games are the least interesting. This would suggest that he didn’t have a full understanding of what makes a game-to-movie adaptation work and listening to fan feedback would be vital in getting Final Fantasy to the big screen.
4 Should: Jon Favreau
Jon Favreau is an actor, director, and screenwriter. His directing work includes the Christmas film Elf, Jumanji spin-off Zathura: A Space Adventure, the first two Iron Man films, and adaptations of the Jungle Book and the Lion King. Favreau also created and wrote the massively successful Star Wars spin-off series The Mandalorian for the Disney+ streaming service.
It's obvious that he has a clear understanding and vision of what makes a science fantasies work. Favreau would be able to make a Final Fantasy movie his own while staying faithful to the source material just like he did with Iron Man and The Mandalorian. He also has the ability to make cute mascot characters like Baby Yoda appealing, so the Moogles and Chocobos would be in safe hands.
3 Shouldn't: Paul W.S. Anderson
Paul W.S Anderson became known to videogame fans after directing the Mortal Kombat film released in 1995. While it took some liberties with source material fans generally regarded it as one of the better video game-to-film adaptations since its release. However, he also directed and wrote the Resident Evil franchise starring his wife Milla Jovovich.
Unfortunately, the films lack the personality of the videogames and are more akin to action movies than the slow-burning horror that defined the original games. Playing loose with the source material and the obvious low-budget seen in the RE films would not work in a Final Fantasy adaptation.
2 Should: Taika Waititi
New Zealand-born director Taika Waititi earned critical acclaim early in his filmmaking career with the short film Two Cars, One Night receiving an Academy Award nomination. His feature films Boy and Hunt for the Wilderpeople were two of the highest-grossing films in New Zealand.
His work on Thor: Ragnarok however, gave Waititi the mainstream recognition he deserved. Ragnarok is a colorful humorous thrill ride from start to finish. Taking inspiration from the 1980 Flash Gordon movie its balance of quirky humor and serious action is the perfect balance for a Final Fantasy movie.
1 Shouldn’t: Uwe Boll
Uwe Boll is a German director who made a career out of making low-budget videogame adaptations. Some of these films include: Alone in the Dark, Bloodrayne, Far Cry, House of the Dead, and In The Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale. Unfortunately for fans, the one thing all these films have in common is that they are all awful beyond words and are regarded by many as the worst movies ever made.
Boll’s movies were so bad that there was a petition requesting him to retire in 2008. In addition, he was the recipient of the “Worst Career Achievement” Award at the 29th annual Golden Raspberry Awards show. Boll shouldn’t go anywhere near a Final Fantasy adaptation or any other video game-based film ever again.