Variety reports that Square Soft, the software company behind the extremely popular Final Fantasy videogame franchise, is continuing to produce animated material at the $45 million facility constructed in Hawaii in order to produce the state-of-the-art computer animated Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. Although the hyper-realistic Final Fantasy feature film was a disappointment at the U.S. box office, the film has done reasonably well worldwide and is expected to become a very popular DVD, when the deluxe 2-disk version hits retailer shelves on Oct. 23 (see 'Final Fantasy DVD Details Set').  But even if the DVD is a major hit, it will be difficult for Square Soft and its partners to get back the enormous cost of the film, which includes the $45 million spent on the production facility itself.  However it appears that at least one other major animated film is currently in production at the studio, though no details about this mystery film have been released at this time.

Various reports from Japan indicate that Square Soft will also be producing a Final Fantasy anime series at the facility, though details remain murky and unconfirmed at this point.  Anyone who has seen the marvelous effects created for Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within would love to see these brilliant techniques used in the service of a better story.  With any luck one the studio's next projects will be a hit and provide the impetus to keep the facility open for years to come.  In the wake of the enormous success of The Lion King, Twentieth Century Fox built a major animation complex in California, but after the release of several disappointing animated features, Fox shut down their animation unit.  We certainly hope a better fate awaits Square Soft's Hawaii animation studio.