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Final Fantasy VII has been, and probably always will be, my favorite game of all time. Even during my latent film geek period, I was obsessed with casting it as a live action adaptation. Casting is, a sort of mental game for myself, and to ratchet up the difficulty, I decided to cast the film as it should have been made in the year 2000. All the chosen actors' ages would, of course, be relative to that time frame. My disclaimer/explanation is that I'm casting for the good of the film as a whole, and trying to find a balance amongst a variety of variables such as age, height, build, look, compatibility with other choices, and of course, the ability to actually act. That said, if you have a problem with a choice I've made, I welcome any challenges, but you'd better be able to back up an alternate with an equal amount of thought (if you can change my mind, I'll credit you for it and update the roster!). On one last note, this cast is based off the look and feel of the characters as seen in Final Fantasy VII, ignoring all incarnations following (Crisis Core, Kingdom Hearts, Advent Children, etc.) So without further delay:
Cloud Strife - James McAvoy
The Pick: James McAvoy is my ideal choice for Cloud. Not only is JM one of my favorite actors, but he has the chops to pull off the complexity of a character like Cloud while adding depth to the role beyond what was seen in the game. Cloud's look is mostly iconic due to his hair and his weaponry, and so considering that JM is exactly the same height, and almost the perfect build (wiry and muscular), I'd say his otherwise loose resemblance to the anime stylings of Cloud should be excused.
The Stats: Cloud - 5ft. 7in. 21 years old. James - 5ft. 7in. 21 years old in 2000. Height Match: Exact; Age Match: Exact.
The Proof: If you want to see a twenty-something JM in action, pick up a copy of the Sci-Fi Channel miniseries Children of Dune. The acting quality is wildly inconsistent all across the board of characters, but anytime JM is on screen, he's electric. The finest scenes? Try when Leto meets his sister Ghanima again after his "death," and his return to claim the throne from Alia. He's pretty much amazing. As an added bonus, we get to see him with spice melange saturated blue on blue eyes of the desert Fremen... which is only a few shades off from mako infused turquoise eyes when you really think about it.
Aeris Gainsborough - Rose Byrne
The Pick: I think that out of all my casting choices, Rose Byrne will prove to be my most controversial. Not because people have strong opinions about her, but rather that people love Aeris to death (no pun intended). I've considered and discared more actresses for this role than I care to count, notable selections including Mena Suvari, Katheryn Winnick, and Alexis Bledel. Most of them had one quality of Aeris: the look, the height, the age, the personality, the aura... but none of them were even close to having all of them. Sadly, casting Aeris has been an exercise in painful compromise, and as of yet, Rose Byrne is the closest I've come to filling Aeris' admittedly ridiculous boots.
The Stats: Aeris - 5ft. 3in. 22 years old. Rose - 5ft. 6in. 22 years old in 2001. Height Match: +3in; Age Match: +1 year.
The Proof: Talks of compromise aside, I feel that the most important aspect of portraying Aeris must undoubtedly be the actress' ability to evoke compassion and empathy. She'll have to bear the weight of the most famous character death in all of gaming history on her shoulders, and if the actress can't sell that scene, then it's game over from the start. I've seen RB's work in Sunshine, and the one thing I took from her acting was that she could sell it, and I would believe it. So far, no other actress comes close, though I am open to suggestion.
Tifa Lockheart - Rachel Leigh Cook
The Pick: Rachel Leigh Cook essentially looks as if the Tifa character was actually modeled on her appearance. A pretty spectacular visual match, considering the exaggerated anime features. Beyond that, though, RLC has both the personality and the ability to portray a live action Tifa. RLC can be sweet, cheerful, and charming while still exuding the inner strength of a fighter, and that's perfect for Tifa.
The Stats: Tifa - 5ft. 4in. 20 years old. Rachel - 5ft. 2in. 21 years old in 2000. Height Match: -2in.; Age Match: +1 year.
The Proof: Most any of the teen movies she's been in showcases the essential girl-next-door qualities that RLC possesses. If you want guilty pleasures, try "She's All That" or "Josie and the Pussycats." Hardcore fans will note that she already provides the voice for Tifa in both Advent Children and Kingdom Hearts. For what it's worth, I called this one long before either title was released.
Barret Wallace - Laurence Fishburne
The Pick: Let's face it, Barret in the game is essentially Mr. T from the A-Team with a gun-arm. Yes, he's a brawler with a heart of gold, but he's hardly what you'd call a deep character. Sadly, in the transition to live action, some of the cornier aspects of the game will have to be toned down, if not altered entirely. The only way I can see the film being taken seriously, is to focus on Barret's desire to protect the planet while keeping Marlene safe. His humor should be limited to the ongoing banter between him and Cloud. The only actor I see that can give Barret the necessary emotional weight? Laurence Fishburne. Barret is supposed to be the leader of AVALANCHE when Cloud meets him. Let's make sure this Barret actually feels like someone that people would follow into battle.
The Stats: Barret - 6ft. 4in. 35 years old. Laurence - 6ft. 0in. 39 years old in 2000. Height Match: -4in.; Age Match: +4 years.
The Proof: LF has been in some amazing films where he really carries his role with strength. Check out "Boys n the Hood" or his bit part in "MI:3" and you'll see what I mean.
And now for Part II. Here, we'll explore a few of the secondary characters, along with the only villain in the game worth casting: Sephiroth. A note before we begin though... hardcore fans will notice the omission of a few supporting characters... namely, Yuffie Kisaragi and Vincent Valentine. This is in part due to the highly tangential nature of their story arcs (as being detrimental to flow and pacing of the film), and their relatively insignificant verbal input throughout the game. If they were to appear in the film, I would personally downgrade their appearances to cameos or easter eggs. And in all fairness, casting either of these two wouldn't be overly difficult. Considering that neither of them really needs to act, only the look is important. That said, Yuffie needs to look like a wide eyed Japanese girl, and Vincent... well... he just needs to be male of appropriate height, seeing as he's mostly covered in a red cape. Enough said, let's move on.
Cid Highwind - Hugh Jackman
The Pick: Seriously? Look at Cid. He is Hugh Jackman. Think back to HJ's look from "Swordfish" and you'll see it immediately. In the story, we get no real insight into Cid's past, so for all we know, HJ might even get to deliver lines in his native Australian accent.
The Stats: Cid - 5ft. 8in. 32 years old. Hugh - 6ft. 2in. 32 years old in 2000. Height Match: +6in.; Age Match: Exact.
The Proof: It's no stretch to say that HJ knows how to act. The guy can switch from Wolverine to prince charming (see "Kate and Leopold"), so I'd say he's got range. I don't think playing Cid would be beyond his reach.
Red XIII - Ron Perlman
The Pick: Ron Perlman is kind of the man. Short and simple. We're going to skip the stats, seeing as Red XIII will have to be computer generated. I'm casting RP on voice alone.
The Proof: Hellboy. Seriously... go check it out and you'll hear the voice that needs to be coming out of Red XIII's mouth. What better voice to add the bass, the rumble, the authority, and maybe a little wry sarcasm to Red XIII's science experiment lot in life?
Cait Sith - John Leguizamo
The Pick: John Leguizamo's is the voice I hear in my head when I imagine Cait Sith blabbering on about goodness knows what. Cait Sith needs to be an odd mix of things, funny, annoying, harmless, yet ultimately noble. From what I've seen of JL's work, I think he's got the range. Like Red XIII, this character will need to be at least partly CG, though it'd be refreshing to accomplish some of the magic through animatronics.
The Proof: Where to begin? Looking at JL's imdb profile is exhausting. This guy's been all over the place. Go ahead and take a look for yourself. What I do know is that he's no stranger to voice acting, and that's what matters for this film.
Sephiroth - Jonathan Rhys Meyers
The Pick: As with Aeris, casting such an iconic character can prove to be difficult, but sooner or later, you have to go with the best available choice that hits the most pros and the fewest cons. In terms of Sephiroth, you need someone who has an androgynous quality, yet can exude danger, someone who can look absolutely cold and, later, more than a little insane. My pick for that actor? Jonathan Rhys Meyers. In my opinion, the only thing he lacks is the bulk. He's got the physicality, just not enough of it.
The Stats: Sephiroth - 6ft. 1in. Age Unknown. Jonathan - 5ft. 9in. Height Match: -4in.; Age Match: N/A.
The Proof: Obviously, his lack of an imposing physical presence is a problem, but I think with the right boots, costume and one freakishly long sword, the magic of Hollywood can glaze over that particular deficiency. As for his acting abilities, I'm not worried. Sephiroth is all about bottled intensity, and JRM can achieve that without even talking. Want to see him in action? His most accessible offerings include Bend it Like Beckham and Mission Impossible 3.
So that's it for Final Fantasy VII as it could have been in the year 2000. Would it have worked? I guess we'll never really know for sure... but as a final tidbit... I think there are only a few directors that could pull off a fully realized fantasy universe such as this. And for myself, the only people I would consider for the Director's chair are Guillermo del Toro and Peter Jackson.
Back when I was in college, I was using a 17" MAG LCD as my primary display. It's crazy to think that I actually did design work on that thing, but I did. Once I started working outside of college, I upgraded to a 24" Widescreen Dell. Best monitor for the money I've ever worked on.
Not being one to waste anything, I tried to figure out how to best integrate my old monitor into my new work flow. Very quickly, I realized that the width of my 17" was just a tiny bit more than the height of my 24". If I could just turn my secondary monitor on its side, I'd increase my horizontal screen space significantly. There was just one problem, the MAG was so old as to not have wall mount brackets on the back panel.
The solution? Do it yourself. As always. Step one. Find some particle board. I got mine at Home Depot. You can see the whole piece here, barely fitting in the trunk of my car.
I drove it on over to a place with power tools, and proceeded to cut the shapes out. And the result:
After I sanded the pieces down, drilled some holes and fastened the two pieces together with butterfly hinges. Then, I took them out to my balcony for some painting. I used a matte finish black spray paint that worked beautifully on sanded particle board. The whole thing dried to touch in about ten minutes.
Once the paint was completely dry (I gave it another day for good measure), I brought it back in and set it up next to my primary monitor.
In actuality, the monitor stand is a very simple design. It's nothing more than a large picture frame holder... the kind that folds up into a basic "L" shape. The monitor itself rests against the inside of the bracing, and tilts backwards at about five degrees. The MAG is so back heavy that it's nearly impossible for it to fall forward out of its cradle. Firing it up for the first time warmed my heart considerably. The visual real estate was a sight to see. I ended up downloading UltraMon to help control both display orientations correctly, but the overall setup was relatively simple. Here's a look at my final setup.
