- Title: USA: AMERICAN FILM PREMIERE OF COMPUTER GENERATED MOVIE "FINAL FANTASY"
- Date: 29th June 2001
- Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (JUNE 29) (REUTERS) VARIOUS, (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) ANIMATION DIRECTOR ANDY JONES SAYING Yeah, Aki's the only character in the film with long hair and there's a very good reason for that. But, she's, you know, it just takes the computer a very long time to figure out what to do with that much hair. She has, you know, 60 thousand hairs
- Embargoed: 14th July 2001 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA AND HONOLULU, HAWAII, UNITED STATES AND FILM LOCATIONS
- Country: USA
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVABAQ49JA2XF7H6XZSLNBYJHJAE
- Story Text: Breaking new ground in the field of computer generated animation, the creators and voice talent behind the new sci-fi adventure "Final Fantasy" gathered in Los Angeles for the film's World Premiere.
"Final Fantasy" the motion picture is based on the worldwide best-selling video game series of the same name created by Japanese gamer Hironobu Sakaguchi. Launched in 1987, the series appealed to game enthusiasts because of its high production values and interactive stories. The game has spawned eight sequels and sold more than 33 million units worldwide.
Now Sakaguchi has directed the first feature film based on the games. It's entirely computer-generated, featuring some of the most realistic and believable human characters ever generated by a computer.
Sakaguchi and his team of 200 artists, animators and computer specialists worked for four years at a high-tech studio facility in Honolulu, Hawaii to bring "Final Fantasy"
to life.
The story takes place on Earth in the near future, when the great cities have been overrun by alien invaders and the few humans who remain struggle to survive and reclaim the planet. Leading this struggle are Aki Ross, voiced by Ming-Na, and Dr. Sid, voiced by Donald Sutherland. They are collecting organic specimens containing the spirits of various lifeforms that they believe will combine to disarm the alien contagion.
While they pursue their scientific and spiritual solution to Earth's crisis, the military, led by General Hein, voiced by James Woods, is pursuing a more aggressive, weapons-based approach, one that Sid fears will destroy the planet in the process.
Caught in the middle of the two philosophies is a small band of soliders led by Captain Gray Edwards, voiced by Alec Baldwin. His team includes Master Sergeant Ryan Whittaker, voiced by Ving Rhames, the geeky yet reliable Neil Fleming, voiced by Steve Buscemi, and the tough and resourceful Jane Proudfoot, voiced by "Frasier" co-star Peri Gilpin.
As the various characters face off against the alien menace, they learn lessons about their home planet and what it means to be truly alive and also what happens to someone's soul after they die.
Besides Sakaguchi, the behind the scenes team includes producer Chris Lee and animation director Andy Jones.
The characters in "Final Fantasy" are so realistic, some of them have even gone on to become celebrities in their own right. For one, Aki Ross, voiced by Ming-Na, has graced a racy photo spread in an issue of Maxim Magazine and appeared in Entertainment Weekly's annual "It" issue.
"Final Fantasy" opens in theaters throughout the United States on Wednesday, July 11. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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