By Andrew Sanford | Film | March 20, 2024 |
By Andrew Sanford | Film | March 20, 2024 |
It’s the middle of the night. Your sleep is restless. You’re sweating, tossing and turning and you don’t know why. Yes, you are asleep, but you know something terrible is happening. There is a sadness that you feel overcome with. You are fighting it, doing your best to remain asleep but that worsens it. Finally, you spring up in bed, shaking, sweating, and screaming, “Artax!”
If this has happened to you, you saw the 1984 adaptation of The Neverending Story when you were too young. Granted, adults can likely be moved by the scene of a young boy struggling to save his horse from death in the Swamp Of Sadness, but for kids, it was on a whole other level. Yes, the film was rated PG, but even parental guidance can’t shield a child from horse death-induced nightmares. Now, a new generation will be exposed to the whimsy, fantasy, and horrific sadness of the book.
The Neverending Story is a German fantasy book released in 1979 and written by Michael Ende. Deadline is reporting that Michael Ende Productions and Oscar-winning See-Saw Films will be producing a new, live-action series of films based on the novel. Its popularity is immense, not only is it a huge hit in Germany but translated into over 45 languages as well. The movie is also popular, having a cultural footprint that continues to this day, 40 years after its release.
The Neverending Story tells the tale of an imaginative boy who finds himself transported to the magical world of Fantastica. He tries desperately to keep Fantastica safe from evil, while also attempting to return to his home in the real world. The film adaptation spawned two sequels. In recent years, a bidding war for rights to the book emerged. We don’t yet know where these movies will live, but it could be the latest in a line of fantasy book adaptations at a streamer. Still, producers Iain Canning and Emile Sherman highlighted “cinematic storytelling” in the announcement so it could find a home on the big screen.
Oh, you haven’t watched Artax’s death scene in a while? Well, it’s still f***ing frightening. Take a peek!