Classic Trailer Rewatch: Wolfgang Petersen’s ‘The NeverEnding Story’
by Alex Billington
April 28, 2024
Source: YouTube
“What magical spell does it cast on all who read it? What is the secret of The NeverEnding Story?” This unforgettably fantasy adventure movie originally opened in theaters in West German in April 1984 – a full 40 years ago this month. In celebration of its 40th anniversary, and for a look back at a classic trailer that has re-appeared online, enjoy these previews for Wolfgang Petersen’s classic The NeverEnding Story. In this big screen adventure, a troubled boy dives into a wondrous fantasy world through the pages of a book. He ends up journeying through strange lands, encountering all kinds of creatures both kind & evil, making some friends & enemies along the way. Barret Oliver stars as Bastian, with Noah Hathaway as Atreyu, Tami Stronach as the “Moon Child”, plus Patricia Hayes, Sydney Bromley, Gerald McRaney, and Moses Gunn. If you grew up in the 80s or 90s like me, you have seen this movie many times, but the young generations of today may not be familiar with it. There are some clunky practical effects, but there are also some creatures that seem so real it’s hard to forget them – like the giant flying dog known as Falkor. It’s fun to look back at how Hollywood used to promote new releases. This is “for anyone who’s ever made a wish.”
Here are all the trailers for Wolfgang Petersen’s classic film The NeverEnding Story, found on YouTube:
You can watch The NeverEnding Story streaming on Hoopla or rent on VOD – more options via JustWatch.
“A boy who needs a friend finds a world that needs a hero in a land beyond imagination!” Bastian (played by Barret Oliver) is a young boy who lives a dreary life being tormented by bullies at his school. On one such occasion he escapes into a book shop where the old proprieter reveals an ancient story-book to him, which he is warned can be dangerous. Shortly after, he “borrows” the book & begins to read in the school attic where he is drawn into the mythical land of Fantasia, which desperately needs a hero to save it from destruction. The NeverEnding Story is directed by the acclaimed German filmmaker Wolfgang Petersen (who passed away in 2022), his fourth feature film at the time after making Das Boot (1981) and just before Enemy Mine (1985). The screenplay is by Wolfgang Petersen & Herman Weigel, with additional dialogue by Robert Easton; adapted from Michael Ende’s German novel of the same name (or Die unendliche Geschichte in German) first published in 1979. The fantasy film originally opened first in West Germany in April 1984. Wolfgang Petersen’s The NeverEnding Story initially opened in US theaters on July 20th, 1984 during the summer. You can ride a Falkor puppet recreation at the Bavaria Filmstadt theme park just outside Munich.
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