Michael Eisner, the former CEO of Disney, appears to have no recollection of approving the development of the Kingdom Hearts series, a collaboration between Square Enix and Disney that has spanned over two decades.
During a recent conversation with reporter Stephen Totilo of Game File, Eisner, who led Disney from 1984 to 2005, was asked if he remembered giving the go-ahead for the PlayStation 2 title that launched in 2002. Eisner reportedly responded with a simple "No." When further prompted with details of the pitch—a crossover featuring Final Fantasy and Disney characters, presented in Tokyo—Eisner's memory was slightly stirred but he still failed to recall the specific reasons for his approval.
However, Shuji Utsumi, who was the managing director for Disney Interactive's Asia Pacific division at the time, provided a different account. Utsumi detailed that he presented Kingdom Hearts to Eisner and over 100 other management members. Eisner's reaction, according to Utsumi, was akin to that of an "ancient Chinese Emperor," with the directive to "Keep at it, and do it right."
The origins of the Kingdom Hearts franchise are a well-known anecdote among fans, stemming from an elevator encounter between Square's Shinji Hashimoto and a Disney executive. Despite the series' significant growth and popularity over the years, it seems to have been a relatively minor event in the tenure of Eisner, who oversaw a vast entertainment conglomerate.
For fans eager to revisit the series, the Kingdom Hearts I-III Collection is slated for release in October. Details regarding the release of Kingdom Hearts 4 remain unconfirmed, though potential announcements could be made at the upcoming D23 expo.