The Neverending Story by director Wolfgang Petersen is an official 80s fantasy film classic. However, at least one person doesn’t see it that way: Michael Ende, the author of the book. On the official website it is listed under the heading The never-ending film debacle quoted as follows: “A gigantic melodrama of kitsch, commerce, plush and plastic”. Ouch!
The spirit of the end, who unfortunately died in 1995, and hardcore fans who see it similarly should welcome the now planned remake. Not just because you could possibly do it better than Petersen, but because the remake is a fantastic opportunity, also to tackle the second half of the book. Film-only fans have no idea what dark developments they missed in the later pages of the novel. It has almost nothing to do with the lousy sequels.
The Neverending Story: Once More With Dark Fantasy Feelings
Spoilers for the film The Neverending Story: The 80s film ends with the young bookworm Bastian Balthazar Bux (Barret Oliver) saving the fictional world of Fantasia through an act of creativity to defeat the all-consuming nothingness: he gives the Childlike Empress (Tami Stronach) a new name , namely that of his deceased mother. A touching plea against apathy in the face of grief and for the power of children’s imagination. Spoiler end.
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Spoilers for the book The Neverending Story:
In the original story, Bastian must recreate each element of Phantasia individually using his imagination and the Auryn Amulet. However, every wish costs him a reminder of the real world. When the boy then transforms himself into the beautiful, clever, strong savior of Fantasy, who does not want to return to reality, he turns against Atreyu in order to dethrone the Childlike Empress. This urgent warning against escapism was apparently missing from the film at the end. Spoiler end.
Disney’s Rapunzel – unnecessarily censored!
The Neverending Story: Finally Done Right?
If the author of the original found the (for what it is) well-functioning film classic from 1984 unacceptable, you can guess what he thought about the two sequels The Neverending Story II – In Search of Fantasias and The Neverending Story III – Saving Imaginations thought. Let alone what he would have had to say about the other interpretations, like the cheap cartoon or the Canadian miniseries.
But who will dare to take on the new version? Apart from the producers of the remake, no one responsible has been identified yet. Iain Canning of See-Saw Films told Variety: “It’s wonderful that we have the opportunity to take a new perspective that has new layers and meanings. We simply believe that every generation deserves its own journey to fantasy.”
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Books as encounters: The Childlike Empress and Bastian Bux
In any case, you can rely on one thing, regardless of the chosen creative team, no matter how deep, complex and true to the original the new Neverending Story should be: the filmmakers will hardly miss the opportunity to present the big conflict from the second half of the book epic Lord of the Rings-esque fantasy battle to stage. FSK 6 is not to be expected again.
However, you should neither rely on obvious candidates like Peter Jackson nor on generic franchise burners like JJ Abrams. A courageous adaptation of The Neverending Story, which does not shy away from any aspect of the original, at best requires the courage of a team that brings its own perspectives on the larger subject of fiction. And perhaps even asks the question what the relationship between reader and book in the context of an adaptation has to mean for that of the audience and the film.