The NeverEnding Story is a 1984 German-American
epicAn epic is traditionally a genre of poetry, known as epic poetry. However in modern terms, epic is often extended to other art forms, such as novels, plays, films, and video games where the story is centered on heroic characters, and the action takes place on a grand scale, just as in epic poetry...
fantasy filmFantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered to be distinct from science fiction film and horror film, although the genres do overlap...
based on the novel
of the same nameThe Neverending Story is a German fantasy novel by Michael Ende, first published in 1979. The standard English translation, by Ralph Manheim, was first published in 1983...
written by
Michael EndeMichael Andreas Helmuth Ende was a German author of fantasy and children's literature. He is best known for his epic fantasy work The Neverending Story; other famous works include Momo and Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver...
. The film was directed and co-written by
Wolfgang PetersenWolfgang Petersen is a German film director and screenwriter. His films include The NeverEnding Story, Enemy Mine, Outbreak, In the Line of Fire, Air Force One, The Perfect Storm, Troy, and Poseidon...
(his first English-language film) and starred
Barret OliverBarret Spencer Oliver is an American actor and photographer. He is best known for his role as Bastian Bux in the film adaptation of Michael Ende's novel The NeverEnding Story.-Career:...
,
Noah Hathaway and
Tami StronachTamara "Tami" Stronach is a dancer and choreographer who has also worked as an actress.Stronach was born to Israeli and Scottish parents. Her father, David Stronach, is a renowned archeologist of ruins of Ancient Persia and a professor at UC Berkeley...
. At the time of its release, it was the most expensive film produced outside of the
USAThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
or the
USSRThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. It was then followed by two sequels:
The NeverEnding Story II: The Next ChapterThe NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter is a 1990 fantasy film and sequel to The NeverEnding Story. It was directed by George T. Miller and starred Jonathan Brandis as Bastian Bux, Kenny Morrison as Atreyu, and Alexandra Johnes as the Childlike Empress. The only actor to return from the first...
and
The NeverEnding Story III: Escape From Fantasia.
Bastian Bux (
Barret OliverBarret Spencer Oliver is an American actor and photographer. He is best known for his role as Bastian Bux in the film adaptation of Michael Ende's novel The NeverEnding Story.-Career:...
), a quiet boy who loves to read, is accosted by bullies on his way to school.