When it comes to fantasy classics, most people probably first think of Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, the “Harry Potter” series or Studio Ghibli films directed by Hayao Miyazaki such as “Princess Mononoke” or “Spirited Away ” . However, a German representative does not have to hide behind these masterpieces and is also one of the best films in its genre for the FILMSTARTS community with an impressive rating of 4.2 out of 5 possible stars: We talk about Wolfgang Petersen “The story without end”, which revolutionized local fantasy cinema in 1984.
Based on Michael Ende’s bestseller, the director’s film “Troy” conquered the world from Germany, while Ende’s novel was also translated into more than 45 languages and has millions of international sales to this day. Now the story of young Bastian in the realm of Phantasia will return to the big screen as “The Neverending Story” is remadeHow now reported.
“The Neverending Story”: reinterpretation instead of remake
However, rather than being a simple remake of the 1984 classic, the new film aims to take a fresh look at Michael Ende’s original novel and retell the complex story with its underlying fantastical and philosophical themes. Behind the project is the British production company See-Saw-Films, which was already responsible for the Oscar-winning dramas ‘The Power Of The Dog’ and ‘The King’s Speech’, as well as the Netflix hit ‘Heartstopper’. Producers Iain Canning and Emile Sherman will team up with Roman Hocke and Ralph Grassmann of Michael Ende Productions, who have already brought the film adaptations of “Jim Knopf” to life in this country.
Roman Hocke spoke the opposite spoke highly of Michael Ende’s groundbreaking novel: “‘The Neverending Story’ by Michael Ende is more than just a story. It is THE story of all stories. […] And we want to transform this unique story, which tells us with great pleasure in storytelling about the meaning of all stories, into a total work of art of words, images and music for a very large audience.”
That’s what ‘The Never Ending Story’ is about
Young Bastiaan flees from the ridicule of his classmates to an old second-hand bookstore, where he comes across a mysterious book. Despite the bookseller’s warnings, he borrows the work entitled “The Neverending Story” – and is taken by him to the magical realm of Fantasia, where all kinds of adventures and magical creatures await him. But the fairyland seems lost and desperately in need of a savior. Can Bastian take on this crucial role?