With advertising in full swing, it feels like the hype for Square Enix’s Final Fantasy 14 is at an all-time high. As gamers work through existing content in preparation for the new Shadowbringers expansion, there’s another morsel of good news for those that would like to see Final Fantasy 14 expand outside of gaming. Sony Pictures and Hivemind are teaming up for a live-action television series based Final Fantasy 14.
Hivemind is the production studio behind the upcoming live-action Witcher series on Netflix. The studio also produced Amazon’s The Expanse, a sci-fi drama based on novels by authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. This isn’t the only recent news regarding Sony getting involved with television or film based on video games. The company spun off the new PlayStation Productions studio in May and it will be dedicated to producing projects based on PlayStation-exclusive franchises.
There are three films based on the Final Fantasy franchise: Spirits Within, Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy 15 and Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children. All were computer animated works and the new TV series will be the first time a live-action Final Fantasy is produced. A more specific synopsis will be released closer to the premiere of the series but, for now, the press release shares the original story set within Eorzea, FF14’s setting, will feature Final Fantasy staples like Magitek, beast-men, airships, and Chocobos.
“Final Fantasy 14 and Eorzea are the perfect gateway into Final Fantasy for longtime fans and newcomers alike,” Sony Pictures Television Co-President Chris Parnell said in a statement. “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.”
The only confirmed character for the project is one that Final Fantasy fans, even those who don’t play the game, will appreciate. Every Final Fantasy game features a character named Cid and Final Fantasy 14’s Cid nan Garlond will be appearing in the live-action series.
Final Fantasy 14 wasn’t always the success it is today. The original 2010 launch of the game was live for two years before getting shut down. The game relaunched with the name Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn in 2013 and has amassed more than 16 million created accounts. Shadowbringers, which releases on July 2, adds a new chapter to the story, new gameplay mechanics, two new jobs, and more.
