Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalIMDb Stars to WatchSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

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, 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

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 263
    View Poster

    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

    7.3166K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    bladeventrue

    still great viewing,after many years

    i still remember seeing this movie when it first came out on the big screen,i was 17,it may have been 84/85,it was still a time of the big old picture theaters,it was a full house,the audience was fairly young,but i noticed there seemed to be a lot of mature people as well-for the duration of the movie, myself and the people around me were engaged and totally engrossed in the viewing.i also remember something i hadn,t seen before,when the movie finished,the whole audience stood up and started clapping,this at a time in new zealand when not every one owned a video machine-after all this time,even with so many distractions,home computers,playstations and everyday general living this movie still is a classic and even someone my age(34)it helps to take me back to my child hood times-a place filled constantly with dreams,a place where there was no dilemmas,no stress and being a kid was all about playing and having fun-i introduced this movie to my niece and nephew,a few years back and they absolutely loved it-a gentle reminder to the magic of being a kid-enjoy
    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
    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!
    Moon Child

    This is such a BEAUTIFUL film, with a message that will never die.

    Although I was only a year old when the Neverending Story first came out, I remember watching it over and over as a little girl. My grandma got it for me when I was little and I remember making her watch it with me almost every day--sometimes two or three times in the same day. Then somehow I lost the tape, and although I still remembered and loved the movie, I forgot just how magical it really was. Then finally, (after years of "I wonder what happened to...") I found it. I realize now that in finding it I not only rediscovered a part of myself, but a beautiful world I forgot existed.

    I admit that I am still waiting for a luck dragon to come and take me home to Fantasia. I belong there. A part of me lives there and so does a part of everyone, although they may not be aware of it. This is without a doubt the most beautiful movie ever made (although Legend comes close) and its message will never die as long as people hold on to their dreams. Barret Oliver's performance as Bastian still makes me cry. He speaks to that part of all of us that is not afraid to "do what we dream." Noah Hathaway was perfect for the part of Atreyu. He is one of the most beautiful and realistic heroes ever depicted. And Tami Stronach as the Childlike Empress (Moon Child) remains one of the most beautiful characters ever to grace the screen. The acting is wonderful, and the background scenery is breathtaking.

    But the Neverending Story is more than just a movie. It speaks to that part in all of us that will never let go of our dreams. It is a story that will never end as long as there are people to appreciate its message. Everyone should see this movie and remember: Fantasia IS real. And "Fantasia can arise in you."
    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.

    Best Emmys Moments

    Best Emmys Moments
    Discover nominees and winners, red carpet looks, and more from the Emmys!

    More like this

    The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter
    5.1
    The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter
    Labyrinth
    7.3
    Labyrinth
    The Dark Crystal
    7.1
    The Dark Crystal
    The Goonies
    7.7
    The Goonies
    E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
    7.9
    E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
    Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
    6.4
    Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
    Who Framed Roger Rabbit
    7.7
    Who Framed Roger Rabbit
    The Karate Kid
    7.3
    The Karate Kid
    The NeverEnding Story III
    3.2
    The NeverEnding Story III
    Hook
    6.8
    Hook
    The Land Before Time
    7.4
    The Land Before Time
    Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
    7.8
    Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

    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.

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    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

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.