News ► Takeshi Nozue on the potential of a Kingdom Hearts CG Film

[WastedPenguin]

I guess a KH movie would be pretty neet.
Also people have been wanting a KH movie since forever now, there are even some really old fanmade KH shortmovies on youtube.

 

[Recon]

His reasoning and attitude is impressive (his statement to say the least) because it shows how dedicated he is to fans. It's quite admirable. I would definitely watch it. Who wouldn't?

Also, does he have a twitter? Because I'm sure if fans pleaded for Kingdom Hearts movie, we just might get it..

 

[WhinyAcademic]

Don't even try to put it in theaters. Just make it direct to video or a Netflix exclusive, or both.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

His reasoning and attitude is impressive (his statement to say the least) because it shows how dedicated he is to fans. It's quite admirable. I would definitely watch it. Who wouldn't?

Also, does he have a twitter? Because I'm sure if fans pleaded for Kingdom Hearts movie, we just might get it..

No twitter, but Square Enix monitors community hubs.

Don't even try to put it in theaters. Just make it direct to video or a Netflix exclusive, or both.

Idk, a limited release like what Kingsglaive did would be amazing and probably would sell out immediately.

Netflix exclusive would be bad because Disney and Square Enix would be aiming for the largest reach possible.

 

[kupo1121]

Kingdom Hearts isn't really designed to be a compact experience. Like, the only reason the cinematics in the remixes work is because they're part of something bigger.

A movie would have to be incredible story-wise in order to work, and that's not something Square can do alone.

I was just about to plagiarize your post Tinny and pass it off as my own because...Yes, This!...All of This!

At least what initially attracted me to KH, beyond the darn right addicting trailer scored with 'Simple & Clean' was seeing all the Disney worlds and getting to visit them. I don't know how feasible in a normal film run-time you could accomplish that without severely cutting down the number of Disney worlds you visit. Even look at the mangas, where many worlds got cut from the story (unfortunately).

Honestly my thought was that they should make the film a standalone reboot apart from the games. APZR made a great suggestion that KH1 could be adapted pretty well into a 90 minute film.

I clicked on that link, but given I don't know how to Twitter, I wanted to know if APZR fleshed out his "90-minute" idea more. I just can't imagine KH1 reduced to that runtime. Between:

• Introducing SRK
• Setting up the plot
• Introducing DG
• Visiting a healthy number of Disney worlds with time during each for character development (SDG learning to become a team, Riku learning his darkness, Sora and Riku conflict developing), solving the problems of the worlds themselves
• Multiple fight scenes in between of heartless and boss-level heartless
• Everything at Hollow Bastion (Maleficent being taken down, Sora and Riku battling, resolving the PoH story)
• Setting up the final battle at End of the World
• Introducing Ansem and having the epic final battle
• Resolution

It just seems like way to much to put into 90-minutes to me...

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

I clicked on that link, but given I don't know how to Twitter, I wanted to know if APZR fleshed out his "90-minute" idea more. I just can't imagine KH1 reduced to that runtime.

No, he didn't. But I can answer...I'd make the film 110 minutes, though.

Introducing SRK & Setting up the plot

These would be pretty easy to do in the first 15-20 minutes.

Introducing DG

This would happen around 20 min mark.

Visiting a healthy number of Disney worlds with time during each for character development (SDG learning to become a team, Riku learning his darkness, Sora and Riku conflict developing), solving the problems of the worlds themselves

Multiple fight scenes in between of heartless and boss-level heartless

Cut the Disney worlds. The only places that should be in the film are Destiny Islands, Traverse Town, Hollow Bastion, and End of the World. Their friendship would obviously be solidified during Hollow Bastion.

Everything at Hollow Bastion (Maleficent being taken down, Sora and Riku battling, resolving the PoH story)

Cut Maleficent. Ansem: Seeker of Darkness would be the de-facto villain of the entire film rather than Maleficent being the red herring. Have him be there egging Riku on and manipulating him.

Setting up the final battle at End of the World

This would automatically be set up with Hollow Bastion's events.

Introducing Ansem

Since Maleficent would be cut, his introduction would happen earlier in the film like when Destiny Islands is destroyed and will be more involved with Riku

and having the epic final battle & Resolution

The final 15 minutes.

It just seems like way to much to put into 90-minutes to me...

Only if you try to not cut and rewrite the story to be more compact. No Kingdom Hearts film would really include Disney worlds because honestly you can cut all of that out and just leave the classic Disney cast and get much of the same story. Just imply they exist.

 

[Antifa Lockhart]

Noooooope, no disney worlds = no sell to me. If you're gonna put forth the effort, I'd rather have a TV show/anime/miniseries.

 

[Cyborg009]

If you're gonna put forth the effort, I'd rather have a TV show/anime/miniseries.

i second that idea. but im more towards an anime.

 

[LightUpTheSky452]

If only the TV series we were supposed to get that one time hadn't been canned:/

But you know, looking back on the fact that that even existed momentarily, it doesn't seem like Disney's opposed to some sort of visual Kingdom Hearts adaptation.

And now they and Square Enix are working closer than ever...

Maybe if the two companies could get talking--and come up with some grand idea where they both work together on it (like some of you guys were talking about before)--it could actually end up happening, and we could get something really special out of it.

But it's only a pipe dream, I know.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

Noooooope, no disney worlds = no sell to me. If you're gonna put forth the effort, I'd rather have a TV show/anime/miniseries.

Personally I agree, but my post was just one (bad) example of what could be done to work one game down to a film format if they really wanted to do a rebooted adaption apart from the canon games.

The series as a whole is well suited to being an animated series. Or just sticking to canon animated shorts that expand on the series rather than adapt it. I'd love to see small little adventures we could never see in the confines of the games. ;~;

But if they were really aiming for a film, this is one of the only ways I could imagine it happening.

 

[Zettaflare]

You could always show Sora's adventures in Disney world's in a quick montage before SDG head to Hollow Bastion. It would be better than no Disney worlds at all

 

[Antifa Lockhart]

Personally I agree, but my post was just one (bad) example of what could be done to work one game down to a film format if they really wanted to do a rebooted adaption apart from the canon games.

The series as a whole is well suited to being an animated series. Or just sticking to canon animated shorts that expand on the series rather than adapt it. I'd love to see small little adventures we could never see in the confines of the games. ;~;

But if they were really aiming for a film, this is one of the only ways I could imagine it happening.

Yeah, I don't disagree that the structure works, but noooooooooo. A series would be so good - if they were to do anything. A chance to work with different artists, and styles, and - oooooh, now I'm bummed because it's not happening

 

[Morgenstern]

Okay I'm gonan say that a single movie probably wouldn't capture the intricacies of the franchise unless it as an adaptation of the first game or an original story.

Wit that said I think if an adaptation of the first game works out they can use it to make sequels. If that is the case then I would imagine the next movie being among the following possibilities

• Movie two will be a Dual adaptation of CoM and 358/Days
  • In this case the worlds that would be seen are Castle Oblivion, Twilight Town and the World that Never Was. Depening on who they would want to focus on the CoM side will be either Sora or Riku's story, the latter might be a more natural fit. The plots would intersperse with each other at intervals trying to Flesh out Namine and Origination XIII. From there the Movie will end with the Climax of Days, being Roxas v. Xion and Roxas, v Riku...or it could isntead tack on the prologue form II as well
• Movie two will just be a CoM adaptation, and a prime opportunity to focus on the crossover aspects.
  • In this case it would be simple adaption of Sora's story with Both Reverse/Rebirth and Days being alluded too. The single world will be Castle Oblivion, but some of the other worlds will appear as the illusions Namine conjures.
• Movie two will jump straight into II's plot. With the side games only being hinted at

From there is more sequels are possible we might see Adataions of BBS and DDD with coded and X being alluded to (BBS with X references, and coded might work as a short prologue before DDD's plot) and then III will get an adaptation all to itself.

All of this of course depends heavily on a lot of variables, chief among them being...there being a movie at all and if Disney is gonna treat it as a series liek the Marvel/Star Wars series or as a standalone movie!

 

[EddieXG1989]

I would be so F'ing happy. :biggrin:

 

[7th_heaven]

Does everyone remember this ?
KH3D Ultimania Staff Interviews! - News - Kingdom Hearts Insider
Q. What do you want to challenge yourself with in the next title?
A. The art of graphics has very much evolved, and so I'd like to try producing realtime graphics in movie quality. Also, this is just a dream or a wish, but I'd like to try doing a full-length KH movie.

 

[Alpha Baymax]

I�m all for a ful CG Kingdom Hearts movie. However, instead of doing an adaptation they should do an original story, like how DISNEY�s Big Hero 6 is original and has nothing to do with MARVEL�s Big Hero 6.

Disney's Big Hero 6 had nothing to do with Marvel's Big Hero 6 in order for Disney Animation could have 100% of the copyrights to the intellectual property. But I still feel that an original story is a necessity in order to fix a bunch of complexities and retcons.

 

[Nayru's Love]

A KH movie under the wing of Disney would be very...different, I think. Eastern-to-Western adaptations usually take a lot of liberties to modify the storytelling, especially in the writing department. In other words, writing that would cater to an Eastern understanding of the world would have to be rewritten with a Western audience in mind instead. You could argue that the narratives of the games remained mostly untouched, but a movie of Disney's competence will have a much wider audience than the games.

It's apples and oranges. A Disney produced KH movie would certainly not please everyone, but I think it could still be an objectively good movie.

 

[Muke]

I just hope that, if the movie really happens, it won't be a f*cked up movie like DB Evolution or ATLA...

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

I just hope that, if the movie really happens, it won't be a f*cked up movie like DB Evolution or ATLA...

Ignoring your completely subjective feelings on some Disney films, has modern Disney created any animated films that have had objectively bad stories and poor reception? The answer to that is no, not really. They are 5 for 5 so far starting with Tangled in 2010 (and ignoring Winnie the Pooh because it reviewed well but Disney released it on Harry Potter's final film weekend so of course it was going to bomb hard).

That could definitely change, but I really don't think you have to worry about a poor adaption that just shits on the source material.

 

[Lulcy]

I clicked on that link, but given I don't know how to Twitter, I wanted to know if APZR fleshed out his "90-minute" idea more. I just can't imagine KH1 reduced to that runtime. Between:

• Introducing SRK
• Setting up the plot
• Introducing DG
• Visiting a healthy number of Disney worlds with time during each for character development (SDG learning to become a team, Riku learning his darkness, Sora and Riku conflict developing), solving the problems of the worlds themselves
• Multiple fight scenes in between of heartless and boss-level heartless
• Everything at Hollow Bastion (Maleficent being taken down, Sora and Riku battling, resolving the PoH story)
• Setting up the final battle at End of the World
• Introducing Ansem and having the epic final battle
• Resolution

It just seems like way to much to put into 90-minutes to me...

The answer is simple, make an adaptation not a copy paste of KH1. Do whatever it takes so that it can work in 90 minutes, this include cutting content, modifying the flow of how the events play out (compared to the game), change focus, etc.