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As of August 21, 2004 (Recent updates in bold print)

Release dates:
Movie set for release in Japan later this year.
As of yet undetermined when the movie will come out in the US – suspected early 2005 along with the PSP (Playstation Portable) release
European/Australian releases are unknown/unconfirmed as well.

A note that the release date has been delayed due to Nomura's poor health. crying (Hope he gets better soon!)

Characters introduced so far:
(20 characters are to be introduced but as of yet, only a few of the more important and popular characters have shown up)

Cloud Strife - http://mokkori66.free.fr/screens/jul16/img04.jpg
Sephiroth - http://adventchildren.net/media/screens/oct23/img015.jpg

Silver Haired Unknowns:
Kadaj (leader) - http://mokkori66.free.fr/screens/jul16/img10.jpg
Loz - http://mokkori66.free.fr/screens/jul16/img11.jpg
Yazoo - http://mokkori66.free.fr/screens/jul16/img12.jpg

***Kadaj is the leader and youngest of the group, using a refined double sword, and was seen in the trailers fighting against Cloud.
***Loz, on the other hand, is the oldest and was seen fighting hand to hand combat against Tifa in the latest trailer.
***Yazoo is the most mysterious of the three, as no information has been released about his role other than he uses a gun called the "Velvet Nightmare".

Barret - http://adventchildren.net/media/screens/dec26/Barret.jpg
Vincent -http://mokkori66.free.fr/screens/jul16/screen014.jpg
Aeris - http://mokkori66.free.fr/screens/jul16/img01.jpg

***Whether or not Aeris has still yet to be seen, but this picture shows her back to back with Cloud in a white background. (and something that's not a flashback)

Hooded Wheelchair figure:http://ff7ac.net/media/ffx2/ffx2int_good_15.jpg

Fenrir (Cloud’s Motorcycle, it holds all of his swords): http://ff7ac.net/media/ffx2/ffx2int_good_14.jpg

Tifa - http://mokkori66.free.fr/screens/jul16/screen010.jpg

***Tifa is seen in the 2nd trailer fighting against Loz at the church in Midgar. She still runs the bar Seventh Heaven and takes care of Marlene and other orphans.

Reno - http://mokkori66.free.fr/screens/jul16/img14.jpg
Rude - http://adventchildren.net/ff7ac/movie/images/char-rude.jpg

***Nomura has said in a recent interview with the Japanese Playstation 2 magazine that the remaining Turks will play an active and important role in the movie.

Red XIII - http://mokkori66.free.fr/screens/jul16/img13.jpg
Cid - http://www.ff7ac.net/news/data/upimages/scan_img_14.jpg
Marlene - http://mokkori66.free.fr/screens/jul16/screen015.jpg

***Marlene is now 6 years old in the movie, and Nomura has hinted that she would play a rather important role.

Denzel - http://mokkori66.free.fr/screens/jul16/img06.jpg

***Denzel is one of the orphans living with Tifa. His role and importance in the movie is unknown.

Yuffie and a hint of Zack in the right hand corner - http://media.adventchildren.net/scans/jp0823-2.jpg

Basic information known in regards to the plot of the movie:

The story takes place two years after the end of the game. A disease known as "star scar syndrome" or "geostigma" (as said in the English trailer shown at E3) has affected many of the people living on the Planet, particularly the children who are most suseptible to the disease. Cloud is living alone, separated from the rest of the gang, and he doesn't stay in one place often.

In the trailers, he is seen getting attacked by Loz (the short haired silver man) and is fighting against Kadaj, the leader. Vincent seems to play a major role as well, as in the third trailer, he is seen in what seems to be the City of the Ancients. Tifa fights against Loz at the church in Midgar, Barret makes a small cameo in the second trailer, but the other characters have yet to be shown in any of the trailers so far.

Game remake:
Square-enix is NOT going to be remaking the Final Fantasy VII game for the Playstation 2.

However, there is a prequel called "Final Fantasy VII: Before Crisis" set out for the mobile phones in Japan involving the Turks. Head for the third post if you want to know more about Before Crisis.

It's been stated by Nomura Tetsuya in a recent interview with the Playstation 2 magazine in Japan that a project called "Compilation of FFVII" exists, meaning that there is a possibility of more works besides AC and BC being created. Yet like AC and BC, they're more like side explainations rather than a direct sequel or remake for FFVII.

Movie Duration:
Originally intended to be a 60-minute film, but has progressed to be 70-90 minutes.

Miscellaneous Info:

-Production Crew-
Director - Nomura Tetsuya (character designer for FF7, FF8, FFX, and FFX-2; director and designer for Kingdom Hearts)
Composer - Nobuo Uematsu (composer for the Final Fantasy series thus far, excluding FFX-2)
Co-director - Takeshi Nozue (CG design for FF9; Animation director for FFX)
Producer: Yoshinori Kitase (Director for FFX)
Co-Producer: Shinji Hashimoto (Producer of Final Fantasy VIII)
Script/Scenario Writer: Kazushige Nojima (Script Writer for Final Fantasy X)
Art Director: Yusuke Naora (Art Director for Final Fantasy X)
Mech and Creature Design: Takayuki Takeya (Mech Designer for Heat Guy J [anime]; freelance figure artist)


Helpful links and sources:
www.adventchildren.net
www.ff7ac.net

The first 2 trailers can be found at either of the sites. However, the latest one released at E3 in May can only be found at SquareEnix's official FF7:AC site -
http://www.square-enix.co.jp/dvd/ff7ac/

A note that you'll need to have the latest version of Flash to look at it.

As of August 28, 2004:

-General Info-

Well, this was announced at (I believe) E3 or maybe a few weeks prior. The long awaited prequel to the Final Fantasy VII series, it follows along the lines of the Turks before the Mako reactor events. This will be played on the Foma 900i series in Japan by Japanese provider NTT DoCoMo. Whether it will go to other types of phones in Japan and to be imported to the US and Europe has still yet to be seen. Beta testing for FF7:BC will begin August 31, 2004.

-Release Date-

Release date for Before Crisis is pending September 24 in Japan with a monthly subscription.

-Characters-

You can play with a variety of characters, it seems. A blonde young woman very similar to Elena and a red head man have been seen so far. In a billboard in Japan, there reveals some more characters including old ones from the game (such as President Shinra, Rufus, Reno, Rude, Tseng, Cloud, Sephiroth, and Zack) as well as some of the new characters:

http://mokkori67.free.fr/20040705ff7bc.jpg

Magazines such as the Famitsu and Playstation 2 magazines in Japan also say something about "that person's" past will be revealed. Who "that person" is has yet to be said.

-Gameplay-

Gameplay will utilize the maximum of the Foma 900i series' capabilities, and screens look pretty cool for a game on your handheld cell phone:

http://www.rpgamer.com/games/ff/ff7bc/screens/ff7bc004.jpg
http://www.rpgamer.com/games/ff/ff7bc/screens/ff7bc003.jpg
http://www.rpgamer.com/games/ff/ff7bc/screens/ff7bc001.jpg
http://www.rpgamer.com/games/ff/ff7bc/screens/ff7bc002.jpg


More info will come as soon as BC progresses.

-Helpful links and sources-

http://www.adventchildren.net/
http://wireless.ign.com/articles/539/539107p1.html
http://www.rpgamer.com/games/ff/ff7bc/ff7bcss.html

Before Crisis' official website (like all the official Japanese websites, they will require the use of a Flash player)

http://www.square-enix.co.jp/mobile/bcff7.html

here you go:

screenshot #1:
Title:
Report on new scenario distribution

Elfe:
Sephiroth

Bottom caption:
Before Crisis Final Fantasy -VII -
Chapter 3 begins its distribution on 2 November (Tuesday)


screenshot #2
Title and dialogue box:
refer screenshot #1

bottom caption:
AVALANCHE leader Elfe finally appears!
Seen here confronting Sephiroth who's believed to be on a mission as a ShinRa SOLDIER.


screenshot #3:
title and dialogue box:
refer to screenshot #1

bottom caption:
What's his relation to the Turks, which is also a branch of ShinRa, and what lies in the future for AVALANCHE?


Sephiroth related screenshot (dunno what else to call it, sorry )
Sephiroth
Made his entrance as a ShinRa SOLDIER.
It is believed that this was around the time he was still hailed as a Hero.

Chain of Memories takes place immediately after the 1st Kingdom Hearts game for the GBA (Gameboy Advanced). So far, Sora has reached a crossroads and now has to decide whether to go on, searching for what he was searching for...meaning his friend, Riku. In order to go, though, Sora has to lose something dear to him....his memories.

Available FF characters, so far, it's unknown as of yet.