As they do, every once in a while, there are some rumours floating around at the moment about a Kingdom Hearts movie. Both The DisInsider, who generally typically shares details about behind-the-scenes go-ons at Disney, and Daniel Richtman, a supposed industry insider, have claimed a film adaptation of Kingdom Hearts is potentially in the works, though nothing has been greenlit just yet. I’ve not heard of The DisInsider before this, though I had heard of Richtman, and it seems like in both cases their records are spotty at best, so I’m not placing any bets just yet.
Still, it could happen, as video game movie adaptations seem to be all the rage these days, and with a world like Kingdom Hearts (i.e., one that literally features a crossover of several beloved Disney IPs), there’s absolutely potential money to be made somewhere along the line. Whether anything does end up happening, we obviously won’t know until it does, but in the event that Disney does push forward one, I have a request- nay, a demand: don’t overcomplicate things.
Right off the bat I want to be clear on something. I am, in fact, one of those freaky Kingdom Heart fans who knows a bit too much about it, and could actually explain the lore to you if pressed. I live for it, even, though the main draw is the heart (pardon the pun) the series exudes in ways most people don’t appreciate. Yet even I’m not foolish enough to suggest that the series hasn’t gotten a bit… difficult, to put it lightly, for new players to get into.
Ignoring the fact that there are essentially 12 games (not including the upcoming new mobile game Missing-Link and Kingdom Hearts 4), there’s moments like in Kingdom Hearts 3 that directly tie into Union X, the first mobile game, that are mostly meaningless if you haven’t played it, and that very same mobile title having a throwback to one, very specific endgame area from the first game that was never really that relevant but suddenly is now. It’s a fun way to tie things together, but there are so many small elements and details to keep track of. If you aren’t in it for the long haul like I am, it might be a bit overwhelming.
Obviously, if a film does get made, I imagine that it will loosely follow the events of the first game. It’s a simple, and potentially somewhat relatable story – one about kids who want to go out and see the wider universe, that end up on a journey of light versus dark, and also Donald Duck and Goofy are there. What’s not to love! The first game is also the least complicated primarily because it is the first one in the two-decade spanning series, though I’m sure it would be made more so in a hypothetical remake.
But it really should keep things simple if it can help it. While Kingdom Hearts 2 might be my favourite, the first game holds a special place in my heart because it feels so innocent. Neither its creators or the characters featured in it really knew what the future held for them, a theme that I think is quite present throughout the rest of the series – the unknown, I mean. Kingdom Hearts is very much about possibility, and also the heart being your soul but also not really and also can a soul exist without a body and a heart without a soul and- you see what I mean here?
I love so much of what Kingdom Hearts does, but keeping it at the basics is in everyone’s best interest. Heck, if a film does get made, I sincerely hope it’s just the one. There just simply isn’t enough time to cover everything that happens in them, and I’m having heart palpitations just attempting to think about how it could work, so best leave it there I think. Oh, and yes, when I say I want things to stay simple, I do also mean that it absolutely has to include Hikaru Utada’s Simple and Clean. Anything less would be a crime against nature.