While Square Enix had been a rather prominent name among RPG fans for series' like Final Fantasy for years, the company surprised fans everywhere when it was revealed that the FF franchise would cross over with Disney properties to make one of the most unique IPs out there. What would start out as a small, intriguing game known as Kingdom Hearts in 2002 has grown into a set of games spanning numerous different console generations. These titles work in a set of "arcs," Where Kingdom Hearts 3 marks the end of the "dark seeker" arc, Kingdom Hearts 4 is the start of the "lost master" arc.
KH4 signals a new era for the series, so things would naturally change between these arcs in ways that may be surprising. However, not many fans could have predicted the direction that Kingdom Hearts 4 is going towards. After Sora sacrificed himself to save Kairi, the Keyblade's chosen has ended up in a world of "unreality," or "fiction." However, despite how the concept sounds, these fictional worlds are based on the real world. It begs the question of how KH4 will keep the Disney worlds around in such a realistic setting, but there's a very easy way to get around it.
The Live-Action Disney Movies Gives KH4 a Big Opportunity
Live-action adaptations of classic Disney movies seem to be the media conglomerate's bread and butter these days. Currently, there are ten different Disney films in development that are said to be live-action, with eight of them being remakes of classic stories. However, even though so many of these are being made right now, they aren't exactly popular with many Disney fans, especially those who enjoy the original animated films. Still, these movies could serve as a great asset to Kingdom Hearts 4.
Due to how these remakes take the once-animated worlds of iconic franchises and bring them to a medium based more on reality, making Kingdom Hearts worlds out of these movies could help the Disney worlds remain in the series. Due to the realistic nature of Sora's latest destination, many of the usual colorful worlds would clash against the situation the Keyblade wielder has found himself in. If Square Enix and Disney choose to use live-action movies to supplement the worlds in KH4, then old worlds from classic KH experiences can be made new again at the same time.
How Live-Action Adaptations Could Help Breathe Life Into Old Kingdom Hearts Worlds
A good number of these live-action adaptation movies come from classic Disney films that have already had their chance to shine in Kingdom Hearts, such as The Little Mermaid's Atlantica and the Pride Lands from The Lion King. While this may seem like a reason why some of the live-action remakes should stay out of KH, some worlds could use a bit more screen time.
Some Disney worlds in Kingdom Hearts 2 and others that had been shown in previous Kingdom Hearts installments, like Atlantica or Beast's Castle still have a bit of story to them left to explore. Even though only a few worlds are plot-relevant, some Disney destinations avoid their movie's plot or dance around it. Using the live-action versions of these films to explore the world twice over, or even for a third time, could still yield some interesting results. It could tie in with the original set of worlds from the previous game, setting up the entire networks as parallel dimensions in the overall scheme of KH lore.
There are plenty of snags that the Kingdom Hearts series could run into that could prevent the use of the live-action adaptations, such as having to pay to use the likeness of a few actors, but there's certainly potential in the idea that's worth exploring. Regardless, KH fans are likely in for quite a unique adventure once Kingdom Hearts 4 finally releases sometime in the future.
Kingdom Hearts 4 is currently in development.