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The NeverEnding Story

Original title: The Neverending Story
  • 1984
  • PG
  • 1h 42m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
166K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,342
246
Noah Hathaway, Sydney Bromley, Alan Oppenheimer, Tilo Prückner, and Deep Roy in The NeverEnding Story (1984)
Official Trailer 2
Play trailer1:22
13 Videos
99+ Photos
Adventure EpicFantasy EpicQuestSword & SorceryAdventureDramaFamilyFantasy

A troubled boy dives into a wondrous fantasy world through the pages of a mysterious book.A troubled boy dives into a wondrous fantasy world through the pages of a mysterious book.A troubled boy dives into a wondrous fantasy world through the pages of a mysterious book.

  • Director
    • Wolfgang Petersen
  • Writers
    • Wolfgang Petersen
    • Herman Weigel
    • Michael Ende
  • Stars
    • Noah Hathaway
    • Barret Oliver
    • Tami Stronach
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.3/10
    166K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,342
    246
    • Director
      • Wolfgang Petersen
    • Writers
      • Wolfgang Petersen
      • Herman Weigel
      • Michael Ende
    • Stars
      • Noah Hathaway
      • Barret Oliver
      • Tami Stronach
    • 440User reviews
    • 107Critic reviews
    • 49Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 6 wins & 9 nominations total

    Videos13

    The Neverending Story
    Trailer 1:22
    The Neverending Story
    The Neverending Story
    Trailer 1:23
    The Neverending Story
    The Neverending Story
    Trailer 1:23
    The Neverending Story
    What to Stream With Your Family Right Now
    Clip 3:57
    What to Stream With Your Family Right Now
    Neverending Story: Rock Eater (Blu-Ray)
    Clip 2:05
    Neverending Story: Rock Eater (Blu-Ray)
    Neverending Story: First Gate (Blu-Ray)
    Clip 1:59
    Neverending Story: First Gate (Blu-Ray)
    Neverending Story: Morla (Blu-Ray)
    Clip 2:05
    Neverending Story: Morla (Blu-Ray)

    Photos270

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    Top cast25

    Edit
    Noah Hathaway
    Noah Hathaway
    • Atreyu
    Barret Oliver
    Barret Oliver
    • Bastian
    Tami Stronach
    Tami Stronach
    • The Childlike Empress
    Gerald McRaney
    Gerald McRaney
    • Bastian's Father
    Chris Eastman
    Chris Eastman
    • 1st Bully
    • (as Drum Garrett)
    Darryl Cooksey
    • 2nd Bully
    Nicholas Gilbert
    • 3rd Bully
    Thomas Hill
    Thomas Hill
    • Carl Conrad Coreander
    Deep Roy
    Deep Roy
    • Teeny Weeny
    Tilo Prückner
    Tilo Prückner
    • Night Hob
    Moses Gunn
    Moses Gunn
    • Cairon
    Sydney Bromley
    Sydney Bromley
    • Engywook
    Patricia Hayes
    Patricia Hayes
    • Urgl
    Beth Anderson
    • The 2nd Balladeer
    • (voice)
    • (uncredited)
    Donald Arthur
    • School's Caretaker
    • (uncredited)
    Willie Coppen
    • Fantasia Inhabitant
    • (uncredited)
    Bernd Eichinger
    Bernd Eichinger
    • Man next to Man Who Drops Milk
    • (uncredited)
    Dee Harris
    • The Balladeers' Lead Guitarist
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Wolfgang Petersen
    • Writers
      • Wolfgang Petersen
      • Herman Weigel
      • Michael Ende
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews440

    7.3166.1K
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    Featured reviews

    shadowmonkey

    Who didn't want to ride a luck Dragon?

    ‘Turn around, tell me what you seeeee', flying through the clouds as the titles roll. It is on every Christmas, I own it and I simply love it. The Neverending Story is one of the least offensive and nicest family films out there. It has numerous sequels, but it is the first one directed by Wolfgang Peterson that is the best of the three.

    Bastian, a young boy lives in a dream world, his father wants him to grow up his school would like him to get his head out of the clouds and is tormented by bullies. On his way into school while trying get away from the bullies he runs into an old book shop. While hiding inside the owner shows him ‘The Neverending Story' a huge volume decorated with the Orin the symbol of the child like emprise of the Land Fantasia. When the owner isn't look Bastian takes the book.

    This is a beautiful film; it enthralled me as a child and still does as an adult. I have watched over and over again, never tiring of it and always enjoying it. If you have young children or are an old child it doesn't matter this is pure a adventure fantasy for all ages, with colourful characters.
    9supertom-3

    Great fantasy film!

    One of the best kids fantasy films of the 80's. This is a great films about troubled young boy Bastien who escapes some pursuing bullies in an old book shop finding a story. As he reads this story alone, in hiding, he becomes enraptured in it and soon begins to feel more than a reader but involved in the story and is sucked into the world of Fantasia.

    Now, does the film have the important elements of a fantasy yarn? Yep it sure does. It looks great it has strange creatures and wonderful landscapes and it's fair share of adventure. The book bastien read centres around Artreyu a young warrior who is the only hope of saving Fantasia from the evil that is "the Nothing" which is what it's name suggest and will turn Fantasia into nothing.

    I had never watched this until recently when purely by chance it was on TV and had a good write up (ah the power of movie critics!) so I thought that as a lover of fantasy, I would watch it. Glad I did people, glad I did. It takes you back to feelings of childhood and captures the imagination. Wolfgang Peterson, who didn't particularly impress me in recent flop Troy, directs preceedings with class and control. There are some good young actors too. ****
    10TheLittleSongbird

    Drop Dead Gorgeous!

    The NeverEnding Story is one of my all time favourite movies, it is just so magical. The music is brilliant, and the story is a magical, simple and effective one. The scenery, sets and costumes were visually a feast to the eyes, just gorgeous to look at, and if it didn't get any awards for best art direction, then that is a massive shame, because it was so beautiful to watch. Falcor was a fantastic character, a very warm and loving character, that you just have to love. I have to admit though, Gmork is very scary. The acting is fantastic, Barret Oliver very spirited as Bastian, and Noah Hathaway born to play Atreyu. And Tami Stromach as the Childlike Empress has a small but wholly relevant role in the film. This film is practically perfect in every way and has a wonderful message, don't miss it! The second film's okay, but the third one is god awful and should be in the bottom 100. 10/10 for this though. Bethany Cox
    7elisa-grant

    Magical and sweet

    Just rewatched with my 9yr and she loved it! Saw it accepted by her with the same enthusiasm I had as a kid!

    Yes, it's dated. Yes, the acting isn't the best. But... it is so magical and super sweet. Also very telling... in 1984 they told us that hope was disappearing and despair was setting in. A prediction of things to come - at least from 2020 to now in 2022!
    JohYowza

    My life changed that autumn afternoon...

    The Neverending story is by far the best "Fantasy" film ever made and I doubt that it will ever be topped. I saw this movie with my dad one cold autumn afternoon, and my life changed forever that day. This movie taught me that fantastic places and wonderful creatures really do exist. You only have to want them to. Even today, aged 23, working in the computer industry, I find myself slipping in the Neverending Story soundtrack in my CD player and dreaming away to Fantasia...

    This movie the most beautiful and touching movies ever created. It's an example of a timeless story, told with wonderful creatures and dazzling vistas of the land of Fantasia. The amazing and perfect soundtrack help capture your heart and won't let go until the end credits fill the screen. At which time you notice that you've been crying for the last ½ hour. I consider myself extremely lucky that this wonderful movie was shown to me at such a young age, telling me that the world is what you make of it.

    And luckily, this September I can watch it all on DVD!!

    This is a masterpiece, nothing less

    More like this

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    5.1
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    7.4
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    6.8
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    7.8
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    Related interests

    Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif in Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
    Adventure Epic
    Dev Patel in The Green Knight (2021)
    Fantasy Epic
    Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, and Bert Lahr in The Wizard of Oz (1939)
    Quest
    Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sandahl Bergman, and Gerry Lopez in Conan the Barbarian (1982)
    Sword & Sorcery
    Still frame
    Adventure
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Drew Barrymore and Pat Welsh in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
    Family
    Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
    Fantasy

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      With a budget of 50 million Deutsche Mark (about $27,000,000), this was the most expensive film ever produced in Germany at the time.
    • Goofs
      When Atreyu is in the Swamps of Sadness with his horse, the horse sinks because it gives into the sadness, but Atreyu doesn't sink, even though he is crying and sad that his friend has died. Though not properly shown in the movie, the book explains how AURYN is protecting him. (His eventual near-sinking at the end of the scene, which never occurred in the book, is due to the plot changes that were made for the movie.)
    • Quotes

      Rock Biter: They look like big, good, strong hands, don't they? I always thought that's what they were.

    • Alternate versions
      The Warner Bros. Pictures logo and it's closing Saul Bass variant are both plastered with the 1992 variant in the DVD version, and 2003 variant in the Blu-ray version.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: The Neverending Story/The Last Starfighter/Electric Dreams/That Sinking Feeling (1984)
    • Soundtracks
      The Neverending Story
      Music by Giorgio Moroder

      Lyrics by Keith Forsey

      Performed by Limahl Feat. Beth Anderson (uncredited)

      Guitar solo Dee Harris (uncredited)

      Courtesy of EMI Records, Ltd.

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    FAQ23

    • How long is The NeverEnding Story?Powered by Alexa
    • Why does Atreyu have to go alone and leave behind his weapons when he goes out on his journey to save the world?
    • What name does Bastian scream out the window towards the end of the movie?
    • What are the differences between the US theatrical cut and the German theatrical cut?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 20, 1984 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • West Germany
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • La historia sin fin
    • Filming locations
      • Blood Alley, Gastown, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada(alley that Bastian is chased into)
    • Production companies
      • Constantin Film
      • Bavaria Studios
      • Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $27,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $20,192,381
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $4,325,823
      • Jul 22, 1984
    • Gross worldwide
      • $20,292,317
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 42m(102 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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