Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth director's respect for the original JRPG's source material was influenced by a Disney live-action remake

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Unlikely inspiration in a 2017 blockbuster

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Cloud
(Image credit: Square Enix)

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's director has credited an unlikely live-action Disney remake for inspiring the team's work on reimagining the classic 1997 JRPG.

In a conversation with Spanish website Vandal, translated using machine learning, director Naoki Hamaguchi recalls a cinema trip in 2017 where he first watched the live-action Beauty and the Beast remake, saying it helped him think about what should "vary and differ from what is shown in the original," while the team was still early in development on Final Fantasy 7 Remake. 

"We didn't really know how much we needed to change or how much we needed to keep the same," Hamaguchi explains. "So while I was wondering about that and the best approach, I saw Beauty and the Beast, and I was very impressed because I was trying to do something very similar."

Square Enix developers have previously spoken about waiting to remake the classic until the production values could be on par with the CGI Advent Children film, which is an ideal that seemingly strengthened after Disney’s remake conveyor belt. "The idea was the same, to reinvent and try to take an old style of animation and work it in a much more realistic style," Hamaguchi continues. "It was a great clue and a great help."

Of course, Final Fantasy 7 Remake wasn't just an upscaled version of the original game - it significantly changed key moments in the story, almost serving as an alternative universe sequel in the process. Will the other parts of this remake trilogy operate differently? Who knows? But our Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth review had glowing praise for the sequel, despite some convoluted moments.

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Kaan Serin
Freelance contributor

Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget.