Die unendliche Geschichte (1984)
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A boy finds a magical book and becomes part of a quest to save a dying fantasy realm.
The story
Bastian Balthazar Bux is a shy boy who lives with his widowed father. After being chased by bullies, he hides in a bookstore and finds a mysterious book called The Neverending Story. The book describes the world of Fantasia, a fantasy realm being destroyed by a malevolent force called 'The Nothing'. Within the pages, a young warrior named Atreyu is tasked with finding a cure for the ailing Childlike Empress. Bastian's curiosity leads him to secretly read the book, and as he follows the narrative, the boundaries between his reality and the world of Fantasia begin to blur.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Bastian Balthazar Bux, a shy boy, finds a magical book in a bookstore and begins reading it in secret. The book depicts the land of Fantasia, which is being consumed by 'The Nothing.' The story follows the warrior Atreyu on a quest to save the Childlike Empress. As Atreyu faces dangers like the wolf-like Gmork and the Swamps of Sadness, he is eventually aided by the Luck Dragon Falkor. At a critical point, a mirror reveals Atreyu is being watched by Bastian. The narrative reveals that Bastian has been following Atreyu's journey and has become part of the story. In the climax, the Empress asks Bastian to give her a new name to save her realm. Bastian calls out 'Moonchild,' and the Empress grants him the power to restore Fantasia with his imagination. He re-creates the land and its inhabitants, and eventually brings Falkor into the real world to confront his school bullies.
- Original title
- The NeverEnding Story
- First release year
- 1984
- Runtime (minutes)
- 94
- Production countries
- West Germany; United States
- Original languages
- English; German
- Directors
- Wolfgang Petersen
- Writers
- Wolfgang Petersen · screenplay; Herman Weigel · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Barret Oliver · Bastian Balthazar Bux; Noah Hathaway · Atreyu; Tami Stronach · Childlike Empress; Patricia Hayes · Urgl; Sydney Bromley · Engywook; Gerald McRaney · Bastian's father; Moses Gunn · Cairon; Thomas Hill · Carl Conrad Coreander
- Genres
- fantasy; adventure
- Themes
- imagination; loss of hope
- Tone and mood
- magical; adventure
- Premise and plot tags
- fantasy; adventure; metafiction
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
- Franchise connections
- The NeverEnding Story
- Content notes
- bullying
- Reception
- The film received mixed to positive reviews, praised for its visual effects and imagination, though some critics found it long or its special effects 'tacky'.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 84% · review count: 49; Metacritic · score: 49 · scale: 100 · review count: 11
- Awards and nominations
- Bambi Award for National Film · National Film · 1984 · Win; Goldene Leinwand (Golden Screen Award) · Golden Screen Award · 1984 · Win; Saturn Award · Best Performance by a Younger Actor (Noah Hathaway) · 1985 · Win; Bavarian Film Awards · Best Production (Produzentenpreis) · 1985 · Win; Film Award in Gold · Best Production Design · 1985 · Win; Saturn Award · Best Fantasy Film · 1985 · Nomination; Saturn Award · Best Music · 1985 · Nomination; International Fantasy Film Award · Best Film · 1985 · Nomination; Young Artist Award · Best Family Motion Picture · 1985 · Nomination; Young Artist Award · Best Young Actor · 1985 · Nomination; Young Artist Award · Best Young Supporting Actress · 1985 · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The film's budget was the most expensive for a European studio at the time.; The theme song was featured in the show Stranger Things.; The film's title was changed by the author's lawsuit.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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