According to a report from Kidscreen, French animation studio Cyber Group Studios has finalized a deal with Square Enix to adapt Final Fantasy IX into an animated series. Production on said series hasn’t started yet, but Cyber Group is actively working on wrapping up a “project bible” before pitching the show for broadcasting.
Square Enix and Cyber Group Studios to Produce Final Fantasy IX Series
Cyber Group Studios CEO Pierre Sissmann is quoted in Kidscreen’s report as stating the show will go into production sometime between later this year and early 2022. We don’t know yet what the scale of this show is, in terms of things like episode length and numbers.
One interesting tidbit is that Final Fantasy IX is aimed at an eight to thirteen audience, skewing to a surprisingly younger demographic. While many fans remember Final Fantasy IX for its bright aesthetic and more traditional fantasy-style setting, it certainly explores darker themes throughout the story.
That said, the games have historically been rated “Teen” by the ESRB, so it’s a demographic that technically makes sense. Earlier this year, reports were popping up all over the place doing everything but confirming Square Enix is also producing a Kingdom Hearts series for Disney Plus.
Final Fantasy is no stranger to multimedia adaptations, with multiple anime and film projects readily available. That said, no specific game has seen a straight adaptation, although the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII works are connected to that game’s canon.
Final Fantasy IX itself is readily available on several current platforms, from mobile to Xbox One. It was originally released for the PlayStation back in 2000.
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What do our readers think of this news? Will Final Fantasy IX make a good serialized adventure for a young-ish audience? Or are you worried it won’t hit the right thematic spots? Let us know at Prima Games’ Facebook and Twitter channels!
