«The Neverending Story», the popular fantasy novel by German writer Michael Ende that received a cult film adaptation in 1984, is being revived on the big screen thanks to a partnership between Michael Ende Productions and See-Saw Films. The world of Fantastic will return to theaters in the form of several films.
The details of the project, including the exact number of films to be made, will depend on the material collected and created. According to the studio, the vivid worlds described by Ende in «The Neverending Story», including the Ivory Tower, Goa, the Desert of Color, the Silver Mountains, the City of Ghosts, the Silver Lake, and the Swamps of Sorrow (where Atreus’ famous horse Artax drowns) — will give the filming the status of an international global production. The studio will try to keep in touch with the book’s heritage by filming some scenes in Germany (most of the 1984 film was actually shot at Bavaria Studios in Munich).
A modern movie would probably maintain the nostalgia of the last century’s film. However, it is known that Michael Ende himself did not like the film because it deviated too much from the original.
The executive producers of the new films will be Lorenzo De Maio, former CEO of Endeavour Content, Michael Ende Productions CEO Wolf-Dieter von Gronau, See-Saw CEO Simon Gillies and creative director Helen Gregory.
Published in 1979, «The Neverending Story» became a bestseller in Germany, was translated into 45 languages and sold millions of copies worldwide. The story centers on a boy, Bastian Balthazar Books, who, while fleeing from bullies, discovers a mysterious book, «The Neverending Story», about the heroic Atreus and his mission to save the magical kingdom of Fantasia from destruction by the force known as the Nothing. But the more he reads, the more Bastian realizes that he is not just an impartial spectator, and soon he finds himself in Fantasticia and flying the dragon Falcor.
Source: Variety