Noah Hathaway inThe NeverEnding Story(1984).Photo:Warner Brothers/courtesy Everett Collection
Warner Brothers/courtesy Everett Collection
The Neverending Storyis getting a new film series!
Michael Ende Productions and See-Saw Films areslated to produce the new series, with the latter group’s Iain Canning tellingVariety,“The story is both timely and timeless, and really has an opportunity to be told in a fresh way.”
“And part of the specialness of the book is that you can go back to it at different ages in your life and find different levels of meaning," the producer added.
“So how wonderful that we have this opportunity to do a fresh perspective that will have new layers and meanings,” Canning went on. “We just believe that every generation deserves their own journey into Fantastica.”
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Thenovel follows a boynamed Bastian, and is described in a synopsis as “a classic tale of one boy and the book that magically comes to life.”
“When Bastian happens upon an old book calledThe Neverending Story, he’s swept into the magical world of Fantastica — so much that he finds he has actually become a character in the story!“the synopsis continues. “And when he realizes that this mysteriously enchanted world is in great danger, he also discovers that he is the one chosen to save it.”
Barret Oliver starred as Bastian in the first film, while the lateJonathan Brandistook over the role in the sequel andJason James Richterin the third movie. Other recognizable characters from the original 1984 film include warrior Atreyu (Noah Hathaway), The Childlike Empress (Tami Stronach) and, of course, the iconic Luck Dragon Falkor.
Michael Ende Productions' Ralph Gassmann toldVarietythat they have “been completely overwhelmed with interest from the television and film industry in recent years.”
“But it was only about four to five years ago when we felt it was right to go back to Fantastica with new, fresher attention,” he explained. “So then we looked at hundreds and hundreds of requests and just thought, let’s see if we find a potential partner amongst them that is so compelling that they make us jump into the boat with them and go on this crazy adventure.”
“But we knew we had to do it right and find the right partner, and luckily See-Saw was amongst them,” Gassmann added.
Ende’s executor Dr. Wolf-Dieter von Granau, granted the rights to the partnership with See-Saw, perVariety. The latter’s Canning and Emile Sherman will co-produce alongside Michael Ende Productions' Gassmann and Roman Hocke, according to the outlet.
source: people.com
