After being infected by a Phantom during one of her experiments, scientist Dr. 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. By physical contact Phantoms consume the Gaia spirit of living beings, killing them instantly, though a minor contact may only result in an infection. In 2065, Earth is infested by alien life forms known as Phantoms. The film has been called a box office bomb and is blamed for the demise of Square Pictures. 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 $182 million in 2020) it grossed only $85 million at the box office. It received mixed reviews, but was widely praised for its characters' realism.

The Spirits Within premiered in Los Angeles on July 2, 2001, and was theatrically released in the United States on July 11. 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. It took a staff of 200 about four years to complete The Spirits Within. A render farm of 960 workstations was tasked with rendering each of the film's 141,964 frames. Square Pictures rendered the film using some of the most advanced processing capabilities available at the time. Aki and Sid must fight against General Hein, who wants to use more violent means to end the conflict. The film follows scientists Aki Ross and Doctor Sid in their efforts to free a post-apocalyptic Earth from a mysterious and deadly alien race, the Phantoms, which has driven the remnants of humanity into 'barrier cities'. It features the voices of Ming-Na Wen, Alec Baldwin, Donald Sutherland, James Woods, Ving Rhames, Peri Gilpin and Steve Buscemi. It was the first photorealistic computer-animated feature film and the most expensive video game-inspired film until the release of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time in 2010. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within is a 2001 science fiction film directed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of the Final Fantasy franchise.

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