Square Enix's tale of a plucky thief who kidnaps a princess and then accidentally saves the multiverse is coming to the screen: An animated series based on Final Fantasy 9 is being developed by French Cyber Group Studios in collaboration with Square Enix.
And wow, now that I summarize it, that is as prototypically JRPG a plot as exists anywhere. A classic of the "you're a teenager and the world needs saving" variety.
As reported by kidscreen, the deal is inked and a project bible is being finished up while Cyber Group Studios pitches the show to broadcasters. The CEO of Cyber Group told the publication that the goal was to begin production by the end of 2021 or beginning of 2022. It makes some sense to see this one in the hands of a studio that focuses on shows for kids—this FF9 animation will be aimed at 8-13 year olds—because FF9 has a pretty family-friendly plot compared to the main-line Final Fantasy games around it.
Last year was the 20th anniversary of Final Fantasy 9, and it's a nice game to play with modern mods—like this impressive and comprehensive AI upscaling project that Wes took a look at last year. FF9 is $21 on Steam and the Humble Store and the Windows Store.
