View source for Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within

{{short description|2001 American animated science fiction film}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2025}}
{{Featured article}}
{{Infobox film
| image       = Final Fantasy The Spirits Within (2011 film) poster.jpg
| alt         = Theatrical poster for Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within featuring five characters and the tagline "Unleash a New Reality".
| caption     = Theatrical release poster
| director    = [[Hironobu Sakaguchi]]
| writer      = {{Plainlist|
* [[Al Reinert]]
* [[Jeff Vintar]]
}}
| story       = Hironobu Sakaguchi
| based_on    = {{Based on|''[[Final Fantasy]]''|Hironobu Sakaguchi}}
| producer    = {{Plainlist|
* Hironobu Sakaguchi
* Jun Aida
* [[Chris Lee (producer)|Chris Lee]]
}}
| starring    = {{Plainlist|
* [[Ming-Na Wen]]
* [[Alec Baldwin]]
* [[James Woods]]
* [[Donald Sutherland]]
* [[Ving Rhames]]
* [[Steve Buscemi]]
* [[Peri Gilpin]]
}}
| cinematography = Motonori Sakakibara
| editing        = Chris S. Capp
| music          = [[Elliot Goldenthal]]
| studio         = {{Plainlist|
* [[Columbia Pictures]]<ref name=bfi/>
* [[Square Pictures]]<ref name=bfi/><ref name=afi/>
}}
| distributor = {{Plainlist|
* [[Sony Pictures Releasing]] (Worldwide)<ref name=afi/>
* Gaga Communications (Japan)
}}
| released    = {{Film date|2001|07|02|Mann Bruins Theatre|2001|07|11|United States}}
| runtime     = 106 minutes<!--Theatrical runtime: 105:51--><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/final-fantasy-spirits-within-2001-0 | title=''Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within'' (PG) | work=[[British Board of Film Classification]] | date=July 6, 2001 | access-date=September 6, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305001934/http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/final-fantasy-spirits-within-2001-0 | archive-date=March 5, 2017 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all}}</ref>
| country     = {{Plainlist|
* United States<ref name=bfi>{{cite web |url=http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b8319f66a |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140721122128/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b8319f66a |archive-date=July 21, 2014 |title=Final Fantasy The Spirits Within (2001) |work=[[British Film Institute]] |location=London |access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref>
* Japan<ref name=afi>{{cite web |title=Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/62016 |website=AFI Catalog |publisher=[[American Film Institute]] |access-date=17 June 2020}}</ref><ref name="lumiere"/>
}}
| language    = English
| budget      = $137 million<ref name=Boxofficemojo>{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=finalfantasy.htm |title=Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001) |work=[[Box Office Mojo]] |date=January 1, 2002 |access-date=July 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180730024629/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=finalfantasy.htm |archive-date=July 30, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{sfn|Bolton|2007}}
| gross       = $85.1 million<ref name=Boxofficemojo/>
}}

'''''Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within''''' is a 2001 American animated [[science fiction film]] directed by [[Hironobu Sakaguchi]], creator of the ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' franchise. It was the first [[Photorealism|photorealistic]] computer-animated feature film and the most expensive [[List of films based on video games|video game-inspired film]] until the release of ''[[Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (film)|Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time]]'' in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711134854/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/Search/Details/Earliest-film-computer-generated-animation-with-photorealistic-characters/66024.htm |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/Search/Details/Earliest-film-computer-generated-animation-with-photorealistic-characters/66024.htm |title=Earliest film computer-generated animation with photorealistic characters |work=[[Guinness World Records]] |archive-date=July 11, 2011 |access-date=January 15, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-expensive-film-inspired-by-a-video-game |title=Largest budget for a movie based on a videogame |work=[[Guinness World Records]] |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180803231835/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-expensive-film-inspired-by-a-video-game |archive-date=August 3, 2018 |url-status=live |access-date=August 3, 2018}}</ref> The film stars the voices of [[Ming-Na Wen]], [[Alec Baldwin]], [[Donald Sutherland]], [[James Woods]], [[Ving Rhames]], [[Peri Gilpin]], and [[Steve Buscemi]], and follows scientists [[Aki Ross]] and Doctor Sid in their efforts to free a [[Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction|post-apocalyptic]] Earth from the Phantoms, a mysterious, deadly alien race who has driven the remnants of humanity into "barrier cities". Aki and Sid must fight against General Hein, who wants to use more violent means to end the conflict.

[[Square Pictures]] rendered the film using some of the most advanced processing capabilities available at the time. A [[render farm]] of 960 workstations was tasked with rendering each of the film's 141,964 [[Film frame|frames]]. It took a staff of 200 about four years to complete ''The Spirits Within''. Square intended to make the character of Aki Ross into the world's first photorealistic computer-animated actress, with plans for appearances in multiple films in different roles.

''The Spirits Within'' premiered in Los Angeles on July 2, 2001, and was theatrically released in the United States on July 11. It received mixed reviews, but was widely praised for its characters' realism. Due to rising costs, the film greatly exceeded its original budget toward the end of production, reaching a final cost of $137 million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|137|2005|r=0}}&nbsp;million in {{Inflation/year|US}}); it grossed only $85.1 million at the box office.<ref name=Boxofficemojo/> The film has been called a [[box-office bomb]]<ref name=bomb>{{cite news |url=https://www.boston.com/ae/movies/gallery/box_office_bombs?pg=8 |title=Movies that were Box-office Bombs |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025002802/http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/gallery/box_office_bombs?pg=8 |archive-date=October 25, 2012 |last=Duffy |first=James |date=August 2, 2006 |work=[[Boston.com]] |access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref> and is blamed for the demise of Square Pictures.<ref name=briscoe>{{cite news|title='Final Fantasy' flop causes studio to fold|work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|date=February 4, 2002|last=Briscoe|first=David}}</ref>

==Plot==
In 2065, Earth is infested by alien life forms known as Phantoms. By physical contact Phantoms consume the [[Gaia hypothesis|Gaia spirit]] of living beings, killing them instantly, although minor contact may only result in an infection. The surviving humans live in "barrier cities" protected by energy shields that prevent Phantoms from entering, and are engaged in an ongoing struggle to free the planet. After being infected by a Phantom during one of her experiments, scientist Dr. [[Aki Ross]] ([[Ming-Na Wen]]) and her mentor, Dr. Sid ([[Donald Sutherland]]), discover a means of defeating the Phantoms by gathering eight spirits: unique energy patterns contained by various lifeforms. When joined, the resulting energy wave can negate the Phantoms. Aki searches for the sixth spirit in the ruins of New York City when she is cornered by Phantoms but rescued by Captain Gray Edwards ([[Alec Baldwin]]) and his squad Deep Eyes, consisting of Master Sergeant Ryan Whittaker ([[Ving Rhames]]), Neil Fleming ([[Steve Buscemi]]) and Corporal Jane Proudfoot ([[Peri Gilpin]]). It is revealed that Gray was once romantically involved with Aki.

Returning to her barrier city, Aki joins Sid and appears before the leadership council along with General Douglas Hein ([[James Woods]]). Hein is determined to use the Zeus cannon, a powerful weapon aboard a [[space station]], to destroy the Phantoms, though Sid is concerned the cannon will damage Earth's Gaia (a spirit representing its ecosystem). Aki delays the use of the cannon by revealing that she has been infected and the collected spirits are keeping her infection stable, convincing the council that there may be another way to defeat the Phantoms. However, this revelation leads Hein to incorrectly conclude that she is being controlled by the Phantoms. Aki and the Deep Eyes squad succeed in finding the seventh spirit as Aki's infection begins to worsen and she slips into unconsciousness. Her dream reveals to her that the Phantoms are the spirits of dead aliens brought to Earth on a fragment of their destroyed planet. Sid uses the seventh spirit to bring Aki's infection back under control, reviving her.

To scare the council into giving him clearance to fire the Zeus cannon, Hein lowers part of the barrier shield protecting the city. Though Hein intended that only a few Phantoms enter, his plan goes awry and legions of Phantoms invade the entire city. Aki, Sid and the Deep Eyes attempt to reach Aki's spaceship, their means of escape, but Ryan, Neil and Jane are killed by Phantoms. Hein escapes and boards the Zeus cannon's space station, where he finally receives authorization to fire the cannon.

Sid finds the eighth spirit at the crater site of the alien asteroid's impact on Earth at the [[Caucasus|Caspian Mountains]]. He lowers a shielded vehicle, with Aki and Gray aboard, into the crater to locate the final spirit. Just before they can reach it, Hein fires the Zeus cannon into the crater, not only destroying the eighth spirit but also revealing the Phantom Gaia. Aki has a [[vision (spirituality)|vision]] of the Phantom home planet, where she is able to receive the eighth spirit from the alien particles in herself. When Aki awakens, she and Gray combine it with the other seven. Hein continues to fire the Zeus cannon despite overheating warnings and unintentionally destroys the cannon and himself. Gray sacrifices himself as a medium needed to physically transmit the completed spirit into the alien Gaia. The Earth's Gaia is returned to normal as the Phantoms ascend into space, finally at peace. Aki is pulled from the crater holding Gray's body and is seen looking into the newly liberated world.
<!-- Please do not add a 'Cast' section. As per MOS:FILM, film article's do not necessarily have to have Cast sections. In the case of this article, it was agreed the Cast section would be merged with the plot. -->

==Production==<!-- Please do not add a 'Cast' section. As per MOS:FILM, film article's do not necessarily have to have Cast sections. In the case of this article, it was agreed the Cast section would be merged with the plot. -->

===Development===
{{quote box|width=20%|quote=''Snow White'' was the first all-color, full-length cartoon, and everyone thought [Disney] was crazy. He could have gone out and hired a real actress and got some little people to play the dwarfs; but he felt very strongly that there was a better way to tell that particular story.|source=Chris Lee, producer{{sfn|Kent|2001|page=8}}}}

''Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within'' was filmed entirely in English.<ref name=dream/> The original script, written by Sakaguchi, was titled ''Gaia''.<ref name=feature/> The screenplay was later rewritten by [[Al Reinert]] and [[Jeff Vintar]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ign.com/articles/2001/07/11/review-of-final-fantasy-the-spirits-within |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140218215827/http://www.ign.com/articles/2001/07/11/review-of-final-fantasy-the-spirits-within |archive-date=February 18, 2014 |title=Review of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within |last=Oliver |first=Glen |date=July 11, 2001 |work=[[IGN]] |access-date=January 15, 2015}}</ref> The film was co-directed by Motonori Sakakibara,{{sfn|Kent|2001|page=10}} with Jun Aida and [[Chris Lee (producer)|Chris Lee]] both serving as producers.{{sfn|Kent|2001|page=11}} Lee even compared ''The Spirits Within'', the first full-length photorealistic animated film, to [[Walt Disney]]'s ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]'', the first full-length [[cel animated]] film.{{sfn|Kent|2001|page=8}} In order to keep the film in line with [[Hironobu Sakaguchi]]'s vision as director, several script rewrites took place,{{sfn|Kent|2001|page=6}} most in the initial stages of production.<ref name=dream/> By April 2000, Square was partnering with [[Columbia Pictures]] to produce the film,<ref name=columbia/> making it the first animated feature Columbia had worked on since ''[[Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation]]'' in 1986.{{sfn|Beck|2005}} Columbia was given the rights to distribute the film worldwide, with the exception of Asia.<ref name=columbia>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/final-fantasy-the-movie/1100-2465389/ |title=Final Fantasy: The Movie |last=Mullen |first=Michael |date=April 28, 2000 |work=[[GameSpot]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103183426/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/final-fantasy-the-movie/1100-2465389/ |archive-date=November 3, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

''The Spirits Within'' was completed over a period of four-years, during which approximately 200 people put in a combined 120 years of work on it.<ref name=awn/> The first 18 months of development were spent creating the [[in-house software]] SQFlesh, which plugged into the programs [[Autodesk Maya]] and [[RenderMan]]. The majority of the rest of production was spent on animation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hawaiibusiness.com/finally-the-fantasy/ |title=Finally, The Fantasy |last=Cruz |first=Cathy S |date=July 2001 |work=[[Hawaii Business]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010184425/http://www.hawaiibusiness.com/finally-the-fantasy/ |archive-date=October 10, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Square accumulated four [[SGI Origin 2000]] series servers, four [[SGI Onyx2|Onyx2]] systems, and 167 [[SGI Octane|Octane]] workstations for the film's production.<ref name=tech>{{cite web|last1=Stokes |first1=Jon |last2=Ragan-Kelley |first2=Jonathon |title=Final Fantasy: The Technology Within |work=[[Ars Technica]] |date=July 30, 2001 |url=http://archive.arstechnica.com/wankerdesk/01q3/ff-interview/ff-interview-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150111193848/http://archive.arstechnica.com/wankerdesk/01q3/ff-interview/ff-interview-1.html |archive-date=January 11, 2015 |access-date=December 23, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010711/sfw046.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010802164259/http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010711/sfw046.html|title=Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within Powered by Silicon Graphics Octane and SGI Origin Family Systems|website=[[PR Newswire]]|publisher=[[Cision]]|via=[[Yahoo! Finance|Yahoo.com]]|archive-date=August 2, 2001|date=July 11, 2001|access-date=June 5, 2019}}</ref> The basic film was rendered at a custom [[render farm]] created by Square in Hawaii. It housed 960 [[Pentium III]]-933&nbsp;MHz [[workstations]]. Character movements were filmed using [[motion capture]] technology.<ref name="time">{{cite magazine |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,997597,00.html |title=Cinema: A Painstaking Fantasy |last=Taylor |first=Chris |date=July 31, 2000 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=December 23, 2014 |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217070831/http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,997597,00.html |archive-date=December 17, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=awn/> Animator [[Matthew Hackett]] stated that while motion capture was effective for many of the scenes, in others animators still had to add movements manually. Hand and facial movements were all done manually. Some of General Hein's facial features and poses were based on Hackett.<ref name=feature/> As animators did not want to use any actual photographs in the film, all backgrounds were done using [[matte painting]]s.<ref>{{cite AV media |year=2007 |title=Matte Art Explorations |medium=Blu-ray featurette |publisher=Columbia Pictures}}</ref> 1,327 scenes in total needed to be filmed to animate the digital characters.<ref name="awn">{{cite web |url=http://www.awn.com/animationworld/behind-scenes-final-fantasy-spirits-within |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301092244/http://www.awn.com/animationworld/behind-scenes-final-fantasy-spirits-within |archive-date=March 1, 2014 |title=Behind the Scenes on Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within |last=Park |first=John Edgar |date=September 10, 2001 |work=[[Animation World Network]] |access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref> The film consists of 141,964 frames, with each frame taking an average of 90 minutes to render.<ref name=awn/> By the end of production Square had a total of 15 [[terabytes]] of artwork for the film.<ref name=awn/>

{{quote box|width=20%|align=left|quote=At first it was very lonely sitting in that booth and eerie to see (Aki's) lips move and my words coming out, but slowly I began to enjoy my time with Aki, and I became attuned to her.|source=Ming-Na, voice actor<ref name=starbulletin/>}}
Aki Ross's voice actor, [[Ming-Na Wen]], was selected for a perceived fit between her personality and Aki's.<ref name="OPM" /> Ming-Na, who found the role via her publicist,<ref>{{cite web | last=Hobson | first=Louis B. | title=Fantasy role for ER actress | url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/TV_Shows/E/ER/2001/07/19/pf-734449.html | archive-url=https://archive.today/20140226143418/http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/TV_Shows/E/ER/2001/07/19/pf-734449.html | archive-date=February 26, 2014 | work=[[Canadian Online Explorer]] | date=June 1, 2001 | url-status=usurped | access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref> said she felt like she had given birth with her voice to the character.<ref name="bbc" /> She gradually accustomed herself to the difficulty of working without the presence and spontaneity of real actors, and commented that the voice-acting work did not take much time, as she would just go into the studio "once or twice a month for about four months" with no need for make-up and costuming sessions.<ref name=starbulletin/> The workload was so light it did not interfere with her acting commitments in the television series ''[[ER (TV series)|ER]]''.<ref name="starbulletin">{{cite web |url=http://archives.starbulletin.com/2001/07/10/features/story1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324052710/http://archives.starbulletin.com/2001/07/10/features/story1.html |archive-date=March 24, 2012 |title='Fantasy' girl's a geek |last=Ryan |first=Tim |date=July 10, 2001 |work=[[Honolulu Star-Bulletin]] |access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref>

Sakaguchi said that he was pleased with the film's final cut, and he would not have changed anything if given the chance.<ref name=dream/> The film had high cost overruns towards the end of filming. New funds had to be sourced to cover the increasing production costs while maintaining staff salaries.<ref name="dream">{{cite web | last=Kanzaki | first=Sumire | title = Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within Interview Series - Hironobu Sakaguchi | work = Anime Dream | date = October 2, 2001 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722050813/http://www.animedream.com/ad/interviews/view/1802 | url = http://www.animedream.com/specials/ff-movie/interview_sakaguchi.shtml | archive-date=July 22, 2012 | access-date=January 15, 2015}}</ref> The film's final cost of $137 million,<ref name=Boxofficemojo/> which included about $30 million spent on marketing by Columbia Pictures,<ref name=pham/> escalated from an original budget rumored to be around $70 million.<ref name=time/> $45 million alone was spent on the construction of Square's studio in Hawaii.{{sfn|Bolton|2007}}

===Themes===
Director Sakaguchi named the main character after his mother, Aki, who died in an accident several years prior to the production of the film. Her death led Sakaguchi to reflect on what happened to the spirit after death, and these thoughts resurfaced while he was planning the film, eventually taking the form of the [[Gaia hypothesis]].<ref name=feature>{{cite AV media |year=2007 |title=The Making of 'Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within' |medium=Blu-ray featurette |publisher=Columbia Pictures}}</ref> He later explained that the theme he wanted to convey was "more of a complex idea of life and death and spirit", believing that the best way to portray this would be to set the film on Earth. By comparison, ''Final Fantasy'' video games are set in fictional worlds.{{sfn|Kent|2001|page=8-9}} Dan Mayers from ''[[Sight & Sound]]'' said that the film followed the same theme typically found in ''Final Fantasy'' video games: "A party of heroes averts impending global holocaust by drawing on their individual skills, gaining knowledge through challenges and emerging victorious with new-found love and respect for themselves and their companions".<ref>{{cite journal |last=Mayers |first=Dan |date=September 2001 |title=Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within |journal=[[Sight & Sound]] |volume=11 |issue=9 |pages=42–43 |issn=0037-4806}}</ref> Writing in the book ''Robot Ghosts and Wired Dreams'', Livia Monnet wrote the film remediated "the notion of life in the neovitalistic, evolutionary biology of [[Lynn Margulis]] and in contemporary theories on artificial life", going on to state that the film's exploration of the Gaia hypothesis raised interesting questions regarding the life and death process of both cinema and digital media, as well as contemporary life sciences, cybernetics, philosophy and science fiction. The concept of artificial life and resurrection was also discussed, and compared to similar themes in the 1914 book ''[[Locus Solus]]''; the Phantoms in ''The Spirits Within'' were considered to be brought to life by various forces: by the alien planet's red Gaia and then by human spiritual energy.{{sfn|Bolton|2007}}

===Character design===
[[File:Aki Ross (sample image).jpg|thumb|[[Aki Ross]] was designed to be as realistic as possible; Square Pictures intended for the CGI character to be the world's first artificial actress to appear in multiple films in multiple roles.|alt=A screenshot from the film showing Aki Ross, a young woman with black hair.]]

Each character's base body model was built from more than 100,000 [[polygon (computer graphics)|polygons]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2009/09/guinness-world-records-gets-its-game-on/1#.VJhKtBCB |title=Guinness World Records gets its game on |last=Molina |first=Brett |date=September 14, 2009 |website=[[USA Today]] |archive-url=https://archive.today/20141222164825/http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2009/09/guinness-world-records-gets-its-game-on/1%23.VJhKtBCB |archive-date=December 22, 2014 |access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref> plus more than 300,000 for clothing alone.<ref name=tech/> Aki's character model bears 60,000 hairs, each of which were separately and fully animated and rendered.<ref name="bbc">{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1433493.stm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214122103/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1433493.stm |archive-date=December 14, 2013 |title=Final Fantasy stirs star nightmares |date=July 11, 2001 |work=[[BBC News]] |url-status=live |access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref> In creating the characters, designers had to transition between using [[PowerAnimator]], Autodesk Maya and RenderMan.{{sfn|Wade|2005|page=10}}

Aki's appearance was conceived by the lead animator of the project, Roy Sato, who created several conceptual designs for Sakaguchi to consider, and then used the selected design as a guide for her character model.<ref name="denver"/> Sato perceived Aki's original look as a "supermodel", and subsequently removed her make-up and shortened her hair in order to give her a more intelligent look that would "convince people that she's a scientist".<ref name="fantasyfemale">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,167110,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120104133539/http://articles.latimes.com/2001/oct/05/business/fi-53689 |archive-date=January 4, 2012 |title='Fantasy' Female |access-date=December 23, 2014 |last=Reese |first=Lori |date=July 11, 2001 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref> In an interview, Sato described actively trying to make her appear as realistic as possible, making her similar to himself in as many ways as he could in the animation, including elements of his personality through facial expressions.<ref name="denver"/> He concluded that Aki ended up being similar to him in almost every way, with the exception that "she's a lot cuter".<ref name="denver">{{cite news | last=Brockbank | first=Eric | title='Final Fantasy' Movie an Eyeful | work=[[The Denver Post]] | date=November 6, 2001 | page=3}}</ref> The model for Aki was designed to closely follow human appearance, with Sakaguchi commenting in an interview: "I think it's OK to look at Aki and be convinced that she's a human".<ref name="OPM">{{cite magazine |last=Kennedy |first=Sam |author2=Gary Steinman |date=August 2001 |title=Final Fantasy |magazine=[[Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine]] |issue=47 |pages=90–93}}</ref>

While Square ruled out any chance of a sequel to ''The Spirits Within'' before it was even completed, Sakaguchi intended to position Aki as being the "main star" for Square Pictures, using her in later games and films by Square, and including the flexibility of being able to modify aspects such as her age for such appearances.<ref name="OPM" /> Ming-Na said that she would be willing if asked to continue voicing Aki.<ref name=starbulletin/> Aki only made one appearance outside of the film; in 2002 she appeared in a demonstration video that Square Pictures made to present to [[The Wachowskis]] before developing ''[[Final Flight of the Osiris]]'' for ''[[The Animatrix]]''. The short film, appearing in the DVD's bonus content and featuring her with a slightly modified design, shows her acrobatically dueling a robot from the [[The Matrix (franchise)|''Matrix'' setting]].<ref>{{cite video |date=June 3, 2003 |people=[[The Wachowskis]] |title=[[The Animatrix]] |type = DVD |publisher=Warner Home Video |isbn= 0-7907-7229-9 |time=Bonus content}}</ref> Shortly afterwards, Square Pictures was closed and absorbed into Square, which ceased using the character.<ref name=briscoe/>

==Music==
{{Infobox album
| name       = Final Fantasy – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
| type       = soundtrack
| longtype   = of ''Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within''
| artist     = [[Elliot Goldenthal]]
| cover      = blank
| alt        =
| released   = July 3, 2001
| recorded   =
| venue      =
| studio     = *Watford Colosseum, [[Watford]]
*[[Air Lyndhurst|AIR]], [[Lyndhurst, Hampshire|Lyndhurst]]
| genre      = [[Film music]]<ref name="allmusic" />
| length     = {{Duration|m=56|s=35}}
| language   = English
| label      = [[Sony Classical]]
| producer   = [[Matthias Gohl|Teese Gohl]]
| prev_title = [[Titus (soundtrack)|Titus]]
| prev_year  = 2000
| next_title = [[Frida (soundtrack)|Frida]]
| next_year  = 2002
}}

The soundtrack to the film was released on July 3, 2001, by [[Sony Music Entertainment|Sony Music]].<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/final-fantasy-the-spirits-within-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-mw0000009998 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130727084125/http://www.allmusic.com/album/final-fantasy-the-spirits-within-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-mw0000009998 |archive-date=July 27, 2013 |title=Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) |last=Shurley |first=Neil |work= [[AllMusic]] |access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref> [[Elliot Goldenthal]] composed the entire score, as well as the film's theme song, "The Dream Within",<ref name=feature/> which had lyrics written by Richard Rudolf and vocals performed by [[Lara Fabian]].<ref name=tracksounds/> Director Hironobu Sakaguchi opted for the acclaimed Goldenthal instead of [[Nobuo Uematsu]], the composer of the ''Final Fantasy'' games' soundtracks, a decision met with mixed opinions as the former was completely unknown to many of the games' fans.<ref name="tracksounds">{{cite web |url=http://www.tracksounds.com/reviews/finalfantasy.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226151530/http://tracksounds.com/reviews/finalfantasy.htm |archive-date=December 26, 2014 |title=Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within by Elliot Goldenthal |last=Coleman |first=Christopher |work= Tracksounds |access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref> The last song on the album and the second and final song to play during the film's credits (after "The Dream Within") is "[[Spirit Dreams Inside (Another Dream)|Spirit Dreams Inside]]" by Japanese rock band [[L'Arc-en-Ciel]].<ref name=tracksounds/>

The film's score was performed by the [[London Symphony Orchestra]]<ref name=feature/> with Belgian composer [[Dirk Brossé]] conducting. It was recorded in the United Kingdom at the [[Watford]] Coloseum and the London [[Air Lyndhurst|AIR Lyndhurst Hall]] and was mixed at the [[Manhattan Center]] Studios in the United States.<ref name="brosse">{{cite web | url = http://www.dirkbrosse.be/index.php/conductor/discography/category/conductor/ | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140224181745/http://www.dirkbrosse.be/index.php/conductor/discography/category/conductor/ | archive-date=February 24, 2014 | title =Dirk Brosse discography | work =Dirk Brossé | access-date = December 23, 2014}}</ref> In the liner notes to the album, Goldenthal describes the soundtrack as combining orchestration techniques associated with the late 20th-century Polish [[Avant-garde music|avant-garde]], as well as his experiments from ''[[Alien 3 (soundtrack)|Alien 3]]'', and 19th-century [[Richard Strauss|Straussian]] brass and string instrumentation.<ref name="liner">{{Cite AV media notes |title=Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) |year=2001 |first=Elliot |last=Goldenthal |author-link=Elliot Goldenthal |type=Liner notes |publisher=[[Sony Classical Records]] |id=SK 89697}}</ref> In the film's 'Making of' featurette, Goldenthal states he used "ghostly [[choir|choral]]" music when the Phantoms are emerging, in an attempt to give a celestial feeling, and focused on low [[Brass instrument|brass]] clusters and [[taiko]] drum rhythms for violent scenes. When Aki talks about a dying girl, Goldenthal used a piano in order to give a domestic home-like feeling to a completely foreign environment, also choosing to use a flute each time Aki focusses on Gaia, as he believed it to be the most "human kind of instrument".<ref name=feature/>

The album was met with positive reviews. Neil Shurley from [[AllMusic]], who gave the album 4 out of 5, opined the album would probably have been nominated for an [[Academy Awards|Oscar]] if the film itself had been more popular,<ref name="allmusic"/> as did the reviewer from Soundtrack Express, who gave the soundtrack 5 out of 5.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.soundtrack-express.com/osts/finalfantasy.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090818030515/http://www.soundtrack-express.com/osts/finalfantasy.htm |title=Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within |work=Soundtrack Express |archive-date=August 18, 2009 |url-status=dead |access-date=February 3, 2010}}</ref> Christopher Coleman from Tracksounds gave the soundtrack 10 out of 10, saying the feel of the album was "expansive and majestic" and that the score elevated the viewing experience of the film.<ref name=tracksounds/> A review from ''Filmtracks'' gave the album 4 out of 5, calling it "an easy album to recommend".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/final_fantasy.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140710152931/http://filmtracks.com/titles/final_fantasy.html |archive-date=July 10, 2014 |title=Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within |date=June 29, 2001 |work=Filmtracks |access-date=January 28, 2015}}</ref> Dan Goldwasser from Soundtrack.net also gave the soundtrack 4 out of 5, calling it a "must have".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.soundtrack.net/album/final-fantasy-the-spirits-within/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140710152931/http://filmtracks.com/titles/final_fantasy.html |archive-date=July 10, 2014 |title=Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within |last=Goldwasser |first=Dan |date=June 21, 2004 |work= Soundtrack.net|access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref>
{{Listen|filename=Elliot Goldenthal - Final Fantasy - The Phantom Plains.ogg|title="The Phantom Plains"|description=Sample of "The Phantom Plains" from the soundtrack album.|format=[[Ogg]]|pos=left}}

The album peaked at No. 19 on ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'''s Top Soundtracks list and No. 193 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] on July 28, 2001.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/final-fantasy-the-spirits-within-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-mw0000009998/awards |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128132753/http://www.allmusic.com/album/final-fantasy-the-spirits-within-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-mw0000009998/awards |archive-date=January 28, 2015 |title=Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within: Awards |work=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref> The track "The Dream Within" was nominated for "Best Original Song Written for a Film" at the 2002 [[World Soundtrack Academy|World Soundtrack Awards]], but lost to "[[If I Didn't Have You (Disney song)|If I Didn't Have You]]" which was composed for ''[[Monsters, Inc.]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldsoundtrackawards.com/en/awards/c/best-original-song-written-directly-for-a-film/8 |title=Best Original Song Written directly for a Film |work=[[World Soundtrack Academy]] |access-date=December 23, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141116135258/http://www.worldsoundtrackawards.com/en/awards/c/best-original-song-written-directly-for-a-film/8 |archive-date=November 16, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Release==
===Box office===
Before the film's release, there was already skepticism of its potential to be financially successful. Chris Taylor from [[Time (magazine)|''Time'']] magazine noted that video game adaptations had a poor track record at the box office and that it was Sakaguchi's first feature film.<ref name="time" /> The film debuted on July 2, 2001, at the Mann Bruins Theater in Los Angeles, California,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.seeing-stars.com/Meet/MoviePremierePressReleases/FinalFantasy.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110001333/http://www.seeing-stars.com/Meet/MoviePremierePressReleases/FinalFantasy.shtml |archive-date=November 10, 2014 |title=Advisory/The World Premiere of Columbia Pictures & Square Pictures' "Final Fantasy" |date=June 28, 2001 |work=Seeing Stars |access-date=January 15, 2015}}</ref> and was released in the United States on July 11, where it made $11.4 million during its opening weekend, ranking in fourth place behind ''[[Legally Blonde]]'', ''[[The Score (2001 film)|The Score]]'' and ''[[Cats & Dogs]]''.<ref name="1st weekend">{{Cite magazine |url=https://variety.com/2001/film/news/goldilocks-rocks-b-o-1117802734/?jwsource=cl |access-date=June 6, 2019 |title=Goldilocks rocks B.O. |date=July 15, 2001 |first=Carl |last=Diorio |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190606192008/https://variety.com/2001/film/news/goldilocks-rocks-b-o-1117802734/?jwsource=cl |archive-date=June 6, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> The film would end up making $32 million in North America<ref name="Boxofficemojo"/> and selling 5,961,378 tickets in the United States.<ref name="lumiere">{{cite web |title=Film #17335: Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within |url=http://lumiere.obs.coe.int/web/film_info/?id=17335 |website=[[Lumiere (database)|Lumiere]] |publisher=[[European Audiovisual Observatory]] |access-date=17 June 2020}}</ref> The film grossed $85 million in worldwide box office receipts,<ref name="Boxofficemojo"/> including {{JPY|1 billion|link=yes}} in Japan.<ref>{{cite web |title=過去興行収入上位作品 |trans-title=Top Movies by Past Box Office |url=http://www.eiren.org/toukei/2001.html |website=Eiren |publisher=Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan |year=2001 |language=ja |access-date=17 June 2020}}</ref> 1,456,523 tickets were sold in France,<ref>{{cite web |title=Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001) |url=http://jpbox-office.com/fichfilm.php?id=2107 |website=JP's Box-Office |language=fr |access-date=17 June 2020}}</ref> 4,299,604 tickets in other European countries<ref name="lumiere"/> and 446,728 tickets in Brazil.<ref>{{cite web |title=Последняя фантазия — дата выхода в России и других странах |trans-title=Final Fantasy - Release dates in Russia and other countries |url=https://www.kinopoisk.ru/film/670/dates/ |website=[[KinoPoisk]] |access-date=17 June 2020 |language=ru}}</ref> The film achieved average to poor results at the box office in most of Southeast Asia; however, it performed well in Australia, New Zealand and South Korea;<ref>{{cite news |url=https://variety.com/2001/film/news/b-o-s-animal-planet-1117850492/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128133501/http://variety.com/2001/film/news/b-o-s-animal-planet-1117850492/ |archive-date=January 28, 2015 |title=B.O.'s animal planet |last=Groves |first=Don |date=July 30, 2001 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref> 160,100 tickets were sold in [[Seoul City]].<ref>{{cite web |title=영화정보 |trans-title=Movie Information |url=http://www.kobis.or.kr/kobis/business/mast/mvie/searchMovieList.do |website=KOFIC |publisher=[[Korean Film Council]] |language=ko |access-date=16 June 2020}}</ref>

In 2006, [[Boston.com]] regarded it as the 4th [[List of box office bombs|biggest box office bomb]], estimating the film's losses at the end of its cinema run at over $94 million.<ref name=bomb/> In March 2012, [[CNBC]] considered it to be the 9th biggest box office bomb.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2012/03/20/The-15-Biggest-Box-Office-Bombs.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150130141100/http://www.cnbc.com/id/38815985/page/9 |archive-date=January 30, 2015 |title=The 15 Biggest Box Office Bombs |last=Bukszpan |first=Daniel |date=March 20, 2012 |work=[[CNBC]] |url-status=live |access-date=January 30, 2012}}</ref>

===Critical reception===
{{quote box|width=30%|quote=If the ambitious mix of East–West, movie-game and anime-action doesn't pay off, we may still remember this as the moment true CG actors were born.|source=''Time'' magazine<ref name="time" />}}

''Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within'' holds an approval rating of 44% on [[Rotten Tomatoes]] based on 144 reviews, with an average rating of 5.30/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "The movie raises the bar for computer-animated movies, but the story is dull and emotionally removed".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/final_fantasy_the_spirits_within/ |title=Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001) |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Fandango Media|Fandango]] |access-date=February 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401160529/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/final_fantasy_the_spirits_within/ |archive-date=April 1, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Metacritic]], which uses a [[weighted average]], gives the film a score of 49 out of 100 based on 28 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.<ref name="Metacritic">{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/final-fantasy-the-spirits-within |title=Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within Reviews |access-date=December 23, 2014 |website=[[Metacritic]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110828161005/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/final-fantasy-the-spirits-within |archive-date=August 28, 2011}}</ref> Audiences surveyed by [[CinemaScore]] on opening night gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |title= Find Cinemascore |work=[[Cinemascore]] |url-status = dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |archive-date= December 20, 2018 |access-date=August 8, 2020}}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' was a strong advocate of the film; he gave it 3½ stars out of four, praising it as a "technical milestone". While having some minor criticism of the plot, he concluded the reason to see the film was "simply, gloriously, to look at it", especially praising the realism in Aki's face.{{sfn|Ebert|2003|page=216}} He also expressed a desire for the film to succeed in hopes of seeing others made in its image, though he was skeptical of its ability to be accepted.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/final-fantasy-the-spirits-within-2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013094437/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/final-fantasy-the-spirits-within-2001 |archive-date=October 13, 2014 |title=Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (PG-13) |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |date=July 11, 2001 |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref> [[Peter Bradshaw]] of ''[[The Guardian]]'' echoed concerns about the plot, describing it as "adequate" though also stating it quickly slipped into cliché. He also had high praise for the animation in general, though lamented that the character's faces did not look quite real enough.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2001/aug/03/culture.reviews1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140509215207/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2001/aug/03/culture.reviews1 |archive-date=May 9, 2014 |title=Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within |last=Bradshaw |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Bradshaw |date=August 3, 2001 |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref>

Writing in a 2007 article about the [[uncanny valley]], John Mangan from ''[[The Age]]'' cited character's eyes in the film as an example of this phenomenon, where attempts to create realistic humans unintentionally cause revulsion;<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/when-fantasy-is-just-too-close-for-comfort/2007/06/09/1181089394400.html?page=fullpage |title=When fantasy is just too close for comfort |date=June 10, 2007 |last=Mangan |first=John |work=[[The Age]] |location=Melbourne |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109134005/http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/when-fantasy-is-just-too-close-for-comfort/2007/06/09/1181089394400.html?page=fullpage |archive-date=November 9, 2013 |access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref> [[Peter Travers]] from ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' said that it was enjoyable watching the characters at first, "but then you notice a coldness in the eyes, a mechanical quality in the movements".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/final-fantasy-20010706|title=Final Fantasy – Rolling Stone|last=Travers|first=Peter|author-link=Peter Travers |date=July 6, 2001 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130906184409/http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/final-fantasy-20010706 |archive-date=September 6, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Nell Minow]] from ''[[Common Sense Media]]'' also expressed concerns about realism in the characters, describing the visuals as stunning overall but finding subtle issues with characters talking and acting. Describing the dialogue as "passable", Nell also said the script read like a reject from ''[[Pokémon (TV series)|Pokémon]]'', and that its "confusing gibberish about the earth's spirit [would] not do justice to the beliefs of environmentalists or [[Pantheism|pantheists]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/final-fantasy-the-spirits-within |title=Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within |last=Minow |first=Nell |authorlink=Nell Minow |date=December 24, 2010 |work=[[Common Sense Media]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120235507/https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/final-fantasy-the-spirits-within |archive-date=January 20, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Todd McCarthy]] from ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' gave a positive review, praising the voice work and visuals though saying the characters were no more emotionally expressive than those in traditional animation. McCarthy described the acting as "no worse" than the majority of science-fiction films, also saying that as far as [[Film adaptation#Video game adaptation|video game adaptation]] films went, ''The Spirits Within'' "sure beats ''[[Lara Croft: Tomb Raider]]''".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2001/film/reviews/final-fantasy-the-spirits-within-2-1200469197/ |title=Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within |last=McCarthy |first=Todd |authorlink=Todd McCarthy |date=July 8, 2001 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170201194014/https://variety.com/2001/film/reviews/final-fantasy-the-spirits-within-2-1200469197/ |archive-date=February 1, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Reception of Aki Ross===

Aki's appearance was received positively by critics,<ref>{{cite news |last=Gumbel |first=Andrew |title=Hollywood finds the perfect star: Tall, attractive, and guaranteed not to strike |work=[[The Independent]] |location=London |date=May 21, 2001 |page=3}}</ref> with praise for the finer details of the character model such as the rendering of her hair.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/review/film/s350149.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216070609/http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/review/film/s350149.htm |archive-date=December 16, 2013 |title=Final Fantasy: The Spirit's Within |access-date=December 23, 2014 |last=Spencer |first=Megan |work=[[Triple J]]}}</ref> ''Entertainment Weekly'' named Aki an "[[it girl]]", stating that "calling this action heroine a cartoon would be like calling a [[Rembrandt]] a doodle".<ref>{{cite magazine | title=The It List 2001;Aki | url=https://www.ew.com/ew/itlist/2001/7.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010625105611/http://www.ew.com/ew/itlist/2001/7.html | magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] | archive-date=June 25, 2001 | access-date= January 15, 2015}}</ref> Ruth La Ferla from ''[[The New York Times]]'' described her as having the "sinewy efficiency" of ''[[Alien (franchise)|Alien]]'' franchise character [[Ellen Ripley]] and visual appeal of [[Julia Roberts]]' portrayal of [[Erin Brockovich]].<ref name="nyt"/> The book ''Digital Shock: Confronting the New Reality'' by Herve Fischer described her as a [[virtual actor|virtual actress]] having a "beauty that is 'really' impressive", comparing her to video game character [[Lara Croft]].{{sfn|Fischer|2006|page=96}} In contrast, Livia Monnet criticized her character as an example of the constantly kidnapped female in Japanese cinema, further "diluted" by her existence solely as a computer-generated character representing "an ideal, cinematic female character that has no real referent".{{sfn|Bolton|2007}}

Writing in the book ''Action and Adventure Cinema'', Marc O'Day described her as among the "least overtly eroticised" female characters in science fiction, though stated that Aki was "transformed in a variety of poses into an erotic fantasy machine" in a bikini photo shoot that was included on the DVD's special features.{{sfn|O'Day|2004|page=350}} She appeared dressed in a bikini on the cover of ''[[Maxim (magazine)|Maxim]]'', and was ranked by the magazine and its readers as one of the sexiest women of 2001, placing at No. 87 out of 100 and becoming the first fictional woman to ever make the list.<ref name="nyt">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/06/style/perfect-model-gorgeous-no-complaints-made-of-pixels.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113060830/http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/06/style/perfect-model-gorgeous-no-complaints-made-of-pixels.html |archive-date=November 13, 2013 |title=Perfect Model: Gorgeous, No Complaints, Made of Pixels |access-date=December 23, 2014 |last=La Ferda |first=Ruth |date=May 6, 2001 |pages=1–2 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> The same image of her appeared in the "Babes: The Girls of Sci Fi" special issue of ''[[SFX (magazine)|SFX]]''.<ref>{{cite journal |year=2002 |title=Aki Ross |journal=[[SFX (magazine)|SFX]] |issue=Babes: The Girls of Sci Fi |pages=55}}</ref>

===Legacy and related media===
The merger between [[Square (video game company)|Square]] and [[Enix]], which had been under consideration since at least 2000 according to [[Yasuhiro Fukushima]], Enix chairman at the time, was delayed because of the failure of the film and Enix's hesitation at merging with a company that had just lost a substantial amount of money.<ref>{{cite web | last=Long | first=Andrew | year=2003 | work=RPGamer | url=http://www.rpgamer.com/news/Q2-2003/042503e.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113044027/http://www.rpgamer.com/news/Q2-2003/042503e.html | archive-date=November 13, 2014 | title= Square-Enix Gives Chrono Break Trademark Some Playmates | access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref> Square Pictures was closed in late January 2002, largely due to the commercial failure of ''The Spirits Within''.<ref name=briscoe /><ref name=briscoetwo />

The film's CGI effects have been compared favourably with those in later films, such as ''[[Avatar (2009 film)|Avatar]]'' (2009).<ref>{{cite web |last=Child |first=Ben |title=Avatar: a first look at the trailer for James Cameron's 3D spectacular |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2009/aug/21/avatar-first-trailer-james-cameron-3d |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140303011340/http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2009/aug/21/avatar-first-trailer-james-cameron-3d |archive-date=March 3, 2014 |date=August 21, 2009 |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Usher |first=William |title=AMD Says Xbox 720 Will Have Avatar Quality Graphics |date=July 17, 2011 |url=https://www.cinemablend.com/games/AMD-Says-Xbox-720-Have-Avatar-Quality-Graphics-33537.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224235928/http://www.cinemablend.com/games/AMD-Says-Xbox-720-Have-Avatar-Quality-Graphics-33537.html |archive-date=February 24, 2014 |work=Cinema Blend |access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref> In 2011, [[BioWare]] art director Derek Watts cited ''The Spirits Within'' as a major influence on the successful ''[[Mass Effect]]'' series of [[action role-playing game]]s.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hussain|first=Tamoor|title=BioWare: Mass Effect inspired 'a lot' by Final Fantasy film: Art director discusses "great" influences |url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/309198/bioware-mass-effect-inspired-a-lot-by-final-fantasy-film/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228010247/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/309198/bioware-mass-effect-inspired-a-lot-by-final-fantasy-film/ |archive-date=December 28, 2014 |work=[[Computer and Video Games]] |date=June 27, 2011 |access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref> In the first episode of the Square Enix-published 2015 video game ''[[Life Is Strange (video game)|Life Is Strange]]'', when the lead character interacts with a TV, she mentions the idea of watching the film, and says "I don't care what anybody says, that's one of the best sci-fi films ever made".<ref>{{cite video game|title=Life Is Strange|developer=Dontnod Entertainment|publisher=Square Enix|date=January 30, 2015|platform=Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360|level=Chrysalis}}</ref>

Although the film was loosely based on a video game series, there were never any plans for a game adaptation of the film itself. Sakaguchi indicated the reason for this was the lack of powerful gaming hardware at the time, feeling the graphics in any game adaptation would be far too much of a step down from the graphics in the film itself.<ref name=dream/> A novelization was written by [[Dean Wesley Smith]] and published by ''[[Pocket Books]]'' in June 2001.{{sfn|Smith|2001}} ''The Making of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within'', a companion book, was published by ''[[Dorling Kindersley#BradyGames|BradyGames]]'' in August 2001.{{sfn|Kent|2001}} Edited by [[Steven L. Kent]], the 240-page color book contains a foreword by director Sakaguchi and extensive information on all aspects of the film's creation, including concept art, storyboards, sets and props, layout, motion capture and animation, as well as a draft of the full [[Screenplay|script]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamesfirst.com/reviews/monica/ff_swbook/ff_swbook.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229155156/http://www.gamesfirst.com/reviews/monica/ff_swbook/ff_swbook.htm |archive-date=February 29, 2012 |title=The Making of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within |last=Hafer |first=Monica |date=September 10, 2001 |work=GamesFirst! |access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref>

===Accolades===
The film won the "Jury Prize" at the 2002 [[Japan Media Arts Festival]].{{sfn|Bolton|2007}} It was nominated for "Best Sound Editing – Animated Feature Film, Domestic and Foreign" at the 49th [[Motion Picture Sound Editors#Golden Reel Awards|Golden Reel Awards]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2002/film/news/sound-editors-tap-noms-for-golden-reel-awards-1117860492/ |title=Sound editors tap noms for Golden Reel Awards |last=Hobbs |first=John |date=February 10, 2002 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128135308/http://variety.com/2002/film/news/sound-editors-tap-noms-for-golden-reel-awards-1117860492/ |archive-date=January 28, 2015 |access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref> as well as "[[Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Animated Film|Best Animated Feature]]" at the 5th [[Online Film Critics Society]] awards.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ofcs.org/awards/2001-awards-5th-annual/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141007094055/http://www.ofcs.org/awards/2001-awards-5th-annual/ |archive-date=October 7, 2014 |title=2001 Awards (5th Annual) |work= [[Online Film Critics Society]] |date=January 3, 2012 |access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref> Conversely, the film was also nominated in the worst screenplay category at the [[2001 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards]], but lost to ''[[Pearl Harbor (film)|Pearl Harbor]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://theenvelope.latimes.com/extras/lostmind/year/2001/2001st.htm |title=2001 24th Hastings Bad Cinema Society Stinkers Awards |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070815101727/http://theenvelope.latimes.com/extras/lostmind/year/2001/2001st.htm |archive-date=August 15, 2007}}</ref> The film's trailer was nominated for the "Golden Fleece" award at the 3rd [[Golden Trailer Awards]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://goldentrailer.com/awards.gta3.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307155929/http://www.goldentrailer.com/awards.gta3.php |archive-date=March 7, 2012 |title=Winners and Nominees for the 3rd Annual Golden Trailer Awards |work=[[Golden Trailer Awards]] |access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Event
! Award
! Nominee
! Result
|-
|rowspan=7| 2002
| [[Motion Picture Sound Editors#Golden Reel Awards|Golden Reel Awards]]
| Best Sound Editing – Animated Feature Film
| Sound editing team
|{{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Trailer Awards]]
| Golden Fleece
| ''Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within'' trailer<br>(Giaronomo Productions, Inc.)
|{{nom}}
|-
| [[Japan Media Arts Festival]]
| Jury Prize
| ''Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within''
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Online Film Critics Society Awards]]
| [[Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Animated Film|Best Animated Feature]]
| ''Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within''
|{{nom}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award]]s
|Best DVD Special Edition Release
| ''Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within'' DVD
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[World Soundtrack Academy|World Soundtrack Awards]]
|Best Original Song Written for a Film
|"The Dream Within"<br> ([[Elliot Goldenthal]], Richard Rudolf, and [[Lara Fabian]])
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Stinkers Bad Movie Awards|Stinker Award]]
|Worst Screenplay for a Film Grossing More Than $100M Worldwide Using Hollywood Math
| ''Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within''
|{{nom}}
|}

===Home media===
A two-disc [[DVD]] version of the film was released on October 23, 2001, with the [[Blu-ray]] edition released on August 7, 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdsreleasedates.com/movies/850/Final-Fantasy:-The-Spirits-Within.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128135823/http://www.dvdsreleasedates.com/movies/850/Final-Fantasy%3A-The-Spirits-Within.html |archive-date=January 28, 2015 |title=Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001) |work=DVD Release Dates |access-date=December 23, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Two weeks before it was released the DVD version was listed on [[Amazon.com]] as one of the most-anticipated releases, and it was expected to recoup some of the money lost on the film's disappointing box office performance.<ref name=pham>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-oct-05-fi-53689-story.html |title=Japan's Square Quits the Movie Business |last=Pham |first=Alex |date=October 5, 2001 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=December 23, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120104133539/http://articles.latimes.com/2001/oct/05/business/fi-53689 |archive-date=January 4, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> The DVD was initially a top seller; in February 2002, Jun Aida said that while sales were still strong, they were not good enough to save Square Pictures from closing.<ref name=briscoetwo>{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/final-fantasy-studio-close-9276846.html |title='Final Fantasy' studio to close |last=Briscoe |first=David |date=February 1, 2002 |work=[[The Independent]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210516014935/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/final-fantasy-studio-close-9276846.html |archive-date=May 16, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> Both versions contained two full-length commentary tracks (one featuring Motonori Sakakibara, sequence supervisor Hiroyuki Hayashida, lead artist Tatsuro Maruyama, and creature supervisor Takoo Noguchi; the second featuring animation director Andy Jones, editor Chris S. Capp, and staging director Tani Kunitake)<ref name=bracke>{{cite web |url=http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/911/finalfantasyspiritswithin.html |title=Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within |last=Bracke |first=Peter |date=August 5, 2007 |work=High-Def Digest |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130401193632/http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/911/finalfantasyspiritswithin.html |archive-date=April 1, 2013 |access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref> as well as an isolated score with commentary. They also contained a version of the film in its basic CGI and sketch form, with the option of pop-up comments on the film. An [[easter egg (media)|easter egg]] shows the cast of the film re-enacting the dance from ''[[Michael Jackson's Thriller (music video)|Michael Jackson's Thriller]]''. Fifteen featurettes, including seven on character biographies, three on vehicle comparisons and an interactive "Making Of" featurette, were also included. Other features included Aki's dream viewable as a whole sequence, the film's original opening sequence, and intentional [[outtake]]s.<ref name=aaron/><ref name=dustin/> Peter Bracke from ''High-Def Digest'' stated the DVD was "so packed with extras it was almost overwhelming", stating that Sony went "all-out" on the extra features in a likely attempt to boost DVD sales and recover losses.<ref name=bracke/> A single-disc edition of the film with significantly less special features was released on August 27, 2002.<ref>{{cite web|first=Enrique|last=Rivero|url=http://www.hive4media.com/news/html/Product_article.cfm?article_id=3325|title=Columbia Trims Its DVDs|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020702164646/http://www.hive4media.com/news/html/Product_article.cfm?article_id=3325|work=[[Home Media Magazine|Hive4media.com]]|archive-date=July 2, 2002|date=June 20, 2002|access-date=September 19, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>

As of December 2001, the film grossed {{US$|26.6 million|long=no}} in [[video rental]] revenue in the United States, equivalent to 83.4% of its box office gross in the country.<ref>{{cite news |title=Weekly video report: Top 20 rental titles |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g04IAQAAMAAJ&q=spirits+within |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |publisher=Wilkerson Daily Corporation |page=452 |date=December 13, 2001 |language=en}}</ref> The DVD was nominated for "Best DVD Special Edition Release" at the 28th [[Saturn Award]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2002/03/14/Nominees-for-28th-Annual-Saturn-Awards/99311016139883/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128140308/http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2002/03/14/Nominees-for-28th-Annual-Saturn-Awards/99311016139883/ |archive-date=January 28, 2015 |title=Nominees for 28th Annual Saturn Awards |date=March 14, 2002 |work=[[United Press International]] |access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref> Aaron Beierle from ''[[DVD Talk]]'' gave a positive review of the DVD, rating it 4½ out of 5 stars for audio quality, video quality and special features.<ref name=aaron>{{cite web |url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/2815/final-fantasy-the-spirits-within/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090628142155/http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/2815/final-fantasy-the-spirits-within/ |archive-date=June 28, 2009 |title=Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within |last=Beierle |first=Aaron |date=October 23, 2001 |work=[[DVD Talk]] |access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref> Dustin Somner from ''Blu-ray.com'' gave the Blu-ray version 5 out of 5 stars for video quality and special features, and 4½ stars for audio quality.<ref name="dustin">{{cite web |last=Somner |first=Dustin |date=April 19, 2009 |title=Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within Blu-ray |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Final-Fantasy-The-Spirits-Within-Blu-ray/465/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024170757/http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Final-Fantasy-The-Spirits-Within-Blu-ray/465/ |archive-date=October 24, 2014 |access-date=December 23, 2014 |work=Blu-ray.com}}</ref> Peter Bracke gave the Blu-ray version 4 out of 5 stars overall.<ref name=bracke/> The film was released in [[4K resolution|4K]] [[Ultra HD Blu-ray]] in November 2021, with improved audio to [[Dolby Atmos]]/TrueHD 7.1 channel format.<ref>{{cite web |title=Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001) upgraded to 4k Blu-ray with Atmos |url=https://hd-report.com/2021/11/05/final-fantasy-the-spirits-within-2001-upgraded-to-4k-blu-ray-with-atmos/ |work=HD-Report.com |date=September 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106212433/https://hd-report.com/2021/11/05/final-fantasy-the-spirits-within-2001-upgraded-to-4k-blu-ray-with-atmos/ |archive-date=November 6, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Sony made the film available for free on the YouTube channel Throwback Toons on December 5, 2023.<ref>{{Citation |title=Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within {{!}} Full Movie {{!}} Throwback Toons |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSoqksBtDnM |website=Youtube.com |publisher=[[Sony]] |access-date=December 25, 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
'''Bibliography'''
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last=Beck |first=Jerry |author-link=Jerry Beck |title=The Animated Movie Guide |url=https://archive.org/details/animatedmoviegui0000beck/page/ |url-access=registration |year=2005 |isbn=1-55652-591-5 |publisher=Chicago Reader Press |pages=[https://archive.org/details/animatedmoviegui0000beck/page/ xv–xx]}}
* {{cite book |editor-last=Bolton |editor-first=Christopher |title=Robot Ghosts and Wired Dreams: Japanese Science Fiction from Origins to Anime |chapter=10 – Invasion of the Woman Snatchers |publisher=University of Minnesota Press |location=Minneapolis |date=November 15, 2007 |editor-first2=Istvan |editor-last2=Csicsery-Ronay Jr. |editor-first3=Takayuki |editor-last3=Tatsumi |editor-link3=Takayuki Tatsumi |isbn=978-0-8166-4974-7 |ref={{sfnRef|Bolton2007}}}}
* {{cite book |last=Kent |first=Steven L |author-link=Steven L. Kent |date=August 2, 2001 |title=The Making of FINAL FANTASY: The Spirits Within |location=Indianapolis |publisher=[[BradyGames]] |isbn=978-0744000719}}
* {{cite book |last=O'Day |first=Marc |title=Action and Adventure Cinema |chapter=Beauty in Motion|editor1-link=Yvonne Tasker |editor-last=Tasker |editor-first=Yvonne |publisher=Routledge |location=London |date=August 19, 2004 |isbn=978-0415235075}}
* {{cite book |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |title=Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2004 |date=October 1, 2003 |publisher=[[Andrews McMeel Publishing]] |location=Kansas City, Missouri |isbn=978-0740738340 |url=https://archive.org/details/rogerebertsmovi00eber}} {{Rating|3.5|4}}
* {{cite book |last1=Fischer |first1=Hervé |author-link1=Hervé Fischer |last2=Mullins |first2=Rhonda |title=Digital Shock: Confronting the New Reality |date=October 30, 2006 |publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press |location=Canada |isbn=978-0773531147 |ref={{sfnRef|Fischer2006}}}}
* {{cite book |last=Smith |first=Dean Wesley |author-link=Dean Wesley Smith |year=2001 |title=Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within |location=New York City |publisher=Pocket Books |isbn=978-0743424196 |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780743424196}}
* {{cite book |editor-first=Daniel P. |editor-last=Wade |date=July 30, 2005 |title=Character Modeling: Digital Artists Master Class |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OWPCPWmdTIcC&pg=PA10 |location=Adelaide |publisher=Ballistic Publishing |isbn=978-1921002113}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{official website|https://www.sonypictures.com/movies/finalfantasythespritswithin}}
* {{IMDb title|0173840}}
* {{anime News Network|film|3806}}

{{Final Fantasy series|FF=FFTSW}}
{{Sony theatrical animated features}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Portal bar|2000s|Film|United States|Japan|Speculative fiction/Science fiction|Video games}}

[[Category:2000s English-language films]]
[[Category:2001 American animated films]]
[[Category:2001 computer-animated films]]
[[Category:2001 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:2001 films]]
[[Category:2001 science fiction films]]
[[Category:Adult animated science fiction films]]
[[Category:American adult animated films]]
[[Category:American animated science fiction films]]
[[Category:American computer-animated films]]
[[Category:American science fiction action films]]
[[Category:Animated films based on video games]]
[[Category:Animated post-apocalyptic films]]
[[Category:Anime films based on video games]]
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[[Category:English-language Japanese films]]
[[Category:English-language science fiction films]]
[[Category:Films about impact events]]
[[Category:Films scored by Elliot Goldenthal]]
[[Category:Films set in 2065]]
[[Category:Films using motion capture]]
[[Category:Final Fantasy films|Spirits Within, The]]
[[Category:Japanese adult animated films]]
[[Category:Japanese animated science fiction films]]
[[Category:Japanese computer-animated films]]
[[Category:Japanese science fiction action films]]
[[Category:Square Pictures films]]