Square Enix has unveiled a new CGI film set within the sprawling Final Fantasy VII universe, serving as a prequel to the 2005 sequel film, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. This upcoming project delves into the narrative threads and character backstories that precede the events of Advent Children, offering fans a deeper look into the world established after the original PlayStation RPG.
The film's placement in the timeline is crucial for understanding its context. It follows the events of the original Final Fantasy VII game and directly precedes the narrative of Advent Children, which itself is a sequel to the game. This new prequel is likely to explore the immediate aftermath of the planet's near-destruction by Sephiroth and the subsequent rebuilding efforts, potentially focusing on characters and conflicts that shaped the world Cloud Strife inhabits in Advent Children.
Advent Children, a CGI film that garnered critical acclaim including an Honorary Maria Award at the Sitges Film Festival and Best Anime Feature at the 2007 American Anime Awards, holds a 7.71 rating on MyAnimeList with over 148,000 voters. Its narrative picked up three years after the original game's conclusion, dealing with a mysterious plague and the emergence of new antagonists. The prequel's existence suggests a desire to flesh out the lore surrounding the Geostigma and the D.M.C. organization, or perhaps explore the origins of the film's main antagonists.
This announcement further enriches the extensive Final Fantasy VII compilation, which includes the original game, its prequel OVA Final Fantasy VII: Last Order, the manga Final Fantasy VII The Kids Are Alright: A Turks Side Story, and the side story novella Final Fantasy VII: On the Way to a Smile - Episode: Denzel. Fans will be keen to see how this new film connects these disparate narrative pieces and expands upon the established lore of one of gaming's most beloved franchises.
