FFVII Screenplay

[OneWingedDemon]

Would people be interested in putting together something like this?
An FFVII movie as we'd like to see it? I was thinking a kind of more realistic Nolan-esque take on it

I'd be down. Screenwriting's what I do after all, but yeah. Just throwing shit out.

Y/N? Would take a shitload of time with no real reward. Except maybe it getting stolen. YAY!

 

[Shademp]

I can't help, but I am very curious. What would the plan be? A more realistic version of the original game? A sequel? A screenplay representing one movie, two movies or even a trilogy?
Sounds interesting, nevertheless.

 

[Tennyo]

I always felt that if FFVII were adapted into live-action film that it should be a trilogy.

Trilogies just kind of flow nicely.

 

[Alex]

There's no way the story of Final Fantasy VII could be adapted into a single film and emerge as anything other than an abomination. Imho, write your screenplay for a trilogy and you'll be doing yourself a massive favour.

 

[ForceStealer]

Where do you think it should divide up? The division between discs 1 and 2 is a pretty natural one. But I dunno if disc 3 has quite enough content to carry an entry...

 

[Alex]

It might seem like a natural place to put a transition between a second and third films. But given how much story takes place in Disc 1, I don't think it would realistically work as well on film. As you said, Disc 3 lacks a lot of content.

If it were up to me, I'd end the first film just after the Temple of the Ancients fiasco. Then maybe end Disc 2 with Cloud and the gang returning from space in the escape pod. It evens out the amount of stuff that would need to go into each film.

 

[Octo]

Where do you think it should divide up? The division between discs 1 and 2 is a pretty natural one. But I dunno if disc 3 has quite enough content to carry an entry...

What about all the under the Highwind hardcore action?.....

It depends on how closely you stick to the game script. You could put in stuff that isn't covered in detail. Eg: The original party members going off to find their reasons to fight.

 

[Lemming]

First movie ends after events of Nibelheim.

 

[OneWingedDemon]

LOL, I was thinking more like it could start with Nibelheim as it is the most significant event and pretty much the core of the story
I mean a film wouldn't just be a re-enactment of the 3 disks anyway.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

I think you have to start it exactly as the game started, not for sentimental reasons but because a) the visuals are instantly engrossing and get us focused on the characters, and b) the slow reveal of the backstory is one of the things that makes this game a masterpiece of the storyteller's art. Each revelation is perfectly timed. It makes a difference that we hear about The Promise before we learn that Cloud and Tifa's hometown has been destroyed.

I think there should be four films:
1. Up to leaving Midgar
2. Up to Flying away in the Tiny Bronco
3. Up to Escape from Junon
4. The End

But it would make a much better mini-series. I hate the thought of anything being left out.

 

[Terrafig]

The breaking up licoriceallsorts provided is a good one, but the second and third won't have as much "closure" feeling as the first and fourth. Might it make sense to extend the second one to the end of the Temple of the Ancients (someone already suggested this)? That would leave the third short though.

I do like the idea of doing some re-arranging. It would be less interesting to have the screenplay exactly the same as the script.

If you had to cut, what would you cut? Besides just abridging the Nibelheim story every time it's told, that's a tough call. It might be interesting to start with the dropping of the plate and leave the preceding up to short summary or inference. The escape from Midgar is too big-screen-able to be cut.

 

[Tennyo]

I think that escaping from Junon would be a nice way to end one of the films (probably the second one). It would have a nice climax, and end with a mystery/on a cliffhanger (omg what happened to Cloud will the party find him?!)

Not to mention meteor being summoned sets the stage for the third movie, which would be all action and trying to save the day.

 

[DrakeClawfang]

I had begun writing a FF7 screenplay years ago on the Clerith forums. Had planned it as a trilogy, first one would be a compression of the events of the game up to leaving Midgar with Sephiroth still alive at the time and the Nibelheim Incident as the climax. Second one would go up to Aerith's death, third one would complete the plotline of the game.

 

[Shademp]

There is only one thing left to do.

CALL PETER JACKSON

(nvm the fact that he said he would never film three movies at the same time ever again )

 

[Tennyo]

Lies. We could convince him. I have ways...

 

[Shademp]

Lies. We could convince him. I have ways...

I don't think luring him in with the promise of a lifetime supply of ice cream is going to work. =/
Not now that he's thin and all. ...That was what you were going to suggest, right?

I was thinking a kind of more realistic Nolan-esque take on it

If we want to find a Nolan-esque story already in FFVII, I think one should pick the events of Nibelheim around the time that Hojo, Vincent and Lucrecia were there. Nolan's movies are often about professional men who encounter a chaotic force, an obsession and/or a woman, and when they divert from the logical and professional path they destroy themselves. The Prestige, The Dark Knight, Inception...

So in this case, the one being destroyed by his inner chaos would be Vincent (cwutididthar ) as his feelings for Lucrecia cause him to try and stop Hojo. Hmm, which leads to an important question... Would Vincent really have been against the experiments, had he not had feelings for Lucrecia? It seems the beta-Vincent in the Early Material Files did, anyway. *ends off-topic rant*

As for the original story the only more realistic element I can imagine is to completely be rid of the Advent Children-style fighting. What else this Nolan-esque approach would mean I honestly can't think of.

 

[Terrafig]

Something realistic on the first disc could potentially work. It would devolve into a narrative about a terrorist organization and a super-powered company.

It would also be pretty boring.

 

[Tennyo]

One thing you would HAVE to keep in mind is that this is Final FANTASY. There needs to be a few elements involved that will give it the kind of feel fans want. Perhaps Cloud, seeing as how he's supposed to be super human, doing outlandish things that aren't probably but still are just downright cool to watch.

Materia usage is a must as well.

Also, how to interpret Limit Breaks? Special abilities that need to charge or just random, normal combat moves that can be done whenever?

I know a lot of this is covered in AC/C. Would it be wise to copy anything from that or go a completely different route?

 

[Username]

Do not make any of them, no point, and also they wil be awful

edit: hi Lem man.

 

[Octo]

Do not make any of them, no point, and also they wil be awful

Well there we are then. Looks like we dodged a bullet there ...phew!

 

[Vivi]

...I'm going to assume that Username and Lemming are the same person.

I like Licorice's idea of where to break up the movies. I'm having a hard time imagining the movies being live-action (that Dragon Ball Z movie comes to mind), but I'd be interested to see what you have planned.

 

[robotwarui]

I always felt that if FFVII were adapted into live-action film that it should be a trilogy.

Trilogies just kind of flow nicely.

Trilogy -

(FF7)
Episode IV - A False Hope
Episode V - Sephiroth Strikes Back
Episode VI - Return of a Cetra

(Crisis Core)
Episode I - The Phantom Mentors
Episode II - Attack of the Copies
Episode III - Revenge of the Shinra

 

[Tennyo]

haha, that's pretty awesome.

 

[robotwarui]

Would people be interested in putting together something like this?
An FFVII movie as we'd like to see it? I was thinking a kind of more realistic Nolan-esque take on it

I'd be down. Screenwriting's what I do after all, but yeah. Just throwing shit out.

Y/N? Would take a shitload of time with no real reward. Except maybe it getting stolen. YAY!

I'm doing that for fun, at least outlining it for now scene by scene, 3 movies, 3 acts each

nutshelled sneak peek:

Episode IV - from beginning until you finally leave midgar
ACT 1 - reactor 1
.....thru.....
cloud falling after reactor 5, fade to black, dialogue with self
ACT 2 - wake up in sector 7 church
.....thru.....
plate is dropped, Barrett's agony, Marlene is safe, there is hope
ACT 3 - go to Elmyra's
.....thru.....
this is about Sephiroth now and determine to go after him

Episode V - Trailing Sephiroth all the way to Aeris death
ACT 1 - Cloud tells his 'story' about Sephiroth in Kalm

Episode VI - Disc 2 and 3

 

[Lord Noctis]

Trilogy -

(FF7)
Episode IV - A False Hope
Episode V - Sephiroth Strikes Back
Episode VI - Return of a Cetra

(Crisis Core)
Episode I - The Phantom Mentors
Episode II - Attack of the Copies
Episode III - Revenge of the Shinra

You my friend, are amazingly awesome.