Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within is a 2001 American computer animated science fiction film directed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of the Final Fantasy series of role- playing games. The film follows scientists Aki Ross and Doctor Sid in their efforts to free a future Earth from a mysterious and deadly alien race known as the Phantoms, which has driven surviving humanity into "barrier cities". They must compete against General Hein, who wishes to use more violent means to end the conflict. The Spirits Within debuted to mixed critical reception, but received praise for the realism of the computer-animated characters. The film only grossed $85 million on a $137 million budget, and is blamed for the demise of its studio, Square Pictures. It has been called a box office bomb.