The NeverEnding Story

A troubled boy dives into a wonderous fantasy world through the pages of a mysterious book.

• Director: Wolfgang Petersen
• Genre:Adventure / Family / Fantasy
• Runtime:94 minutes

Cast

Barret Oliver : Bastian
Gerald McRaney : Bastian’s Father
Drum Garrett : 1st Bully
Darryl Cooksey: 2nd Bully
Nicholas Gilbert: 3rd Bully – wearing red baseball hat

Bastian (Barret Oliver), a troubled boy, is accosted by bullies on his way to school. He hides in a bookstore, interrupting the grumpy bookseller, Mr. Koreander (Thomas Hill). Bastian asks about one of the books he sees, but Mr. Koreander warns him it is “not safe.” Nevertheless, Bastian “borrows” the book and races towards school. He then hides in the school’s attic, to begin reading “The Neverending Story.”

The book describes the fantasy world of Fantasia which is being threatened by a force called “The Nothing,” a void of darkness that consumes everything. The creatures of Fantasia have gathered to plead for help from the Childlike Empress of Fantasia, but her attendant, (Moses Gunn), reveals to the assembled crowd that she has fallen deathly ill due to the Nothing. She has summoned a warrior from the Plains People, Atreyu (Noah Hathaway), to help put an end to the Nothing. Atreyu is revealed to be a boy about Bastian’s age. He is given a magical medallion called the Auryn to use as a guide. As Atreyu sets off on his quest, the Nothing summons Gmork (voiced by Alan Oppenheimer), a vicious wolf-like creature, to kill Atreyu.

Atreyu heads to the deadly Swamps of Sadness to see the ancient Morla, the wisest being in all of Fantasia. His horse, Artax, is overcome by the sadness of the swamps and sinks into the mud, forcing Atreyu to continue on foot. Morla cannot help Atreyu, but directs him to the Southern Oracle, which is 10,000 miles away. In the real world, the school bell rings and the school quickly empties, but Bastian remains in the attic and continues to read. Read more

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