Die unendliche Geschichte (1984)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Wolfgang Petersen

Writers:

Wolfgang Petersen (screenplay) &
Herman Weigel (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

20 July 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Fantasy

Tagline:

A boy who needs a friend finds a world that needs a hero in a land beyond imagination!

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Book | Bully | Warrior | Young Boy | Hero

Awards:

4 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Barret Oliver	...	Bastian
Gerald McRaney	...	Bastian's Father
Drum Garrett	...	1st Bully
Darryl Cooksey	...	2nd Bully
Nicholas Gilbert	...	3rd Bully
Thomas Hill	...	Koreander
Deep Roy	...	Teeny Weeny
Tilo Prückner	...	Night Hob
Moses Gunn	...	Cairon
Noah Hathaway	...	Atreyu
Alan Oppenheimer	...	Falkor / G'mork / Narrator (voice)
Sydney Bromley	...	Engywook
Patricia Hayes	...	Urgl
Tami Stronach	...	The Childlike Empress
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Frank Lenart	...	Teeny Weeny (voice) (uncredited)
Heinz Reincke	...	Fuchur (voice) (uncredited)
Silvia Seidel	...	Fairy (uncredited)

Directed by
Wolfgang Petersen

Writing credits
Wolfgang Petersen		(screenplay) &
Herman Weigel		(screenplay)
Michael Ende		(novel)
Robert Easton		(additional dialogue)

Produced by
Mark Damon	....	executive producer
Bernd Eichinger	....	producer
Dieter Geissler	....	producer
John W. Hyde	....	executive producer (as John Hyde)
Klaus Kähler	....	associate producer
Günter Rohrbach	....	co-producer
Bernd Schaefers	....	producer

Original Music by
Klaus Doldinger		(music composed by)
Giorgio Moroder		(music composed by)

Cinematography by
Jost Vacano		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Jane Seitz

Casting by
Risa Kes
Penny Perry

Production Design by
Rolf Zehetbauer

Art Direction by
Johann Iwan Kot
Herbert Strabel
Götz Weidner

Set Decoration by
Rolf Zehetbauer

Costume Design by
Count Ul De Rico		(as Ul De Rico)
Diemut Remy

Makeup Department
Brigitta Ansary	....	makeup artist
Colin Arthur	....	special effects makeup supervisor
Georg Bestle	....	special effects makeup lab assistant
Edwin Erfmann	....	makeup artist (as Eddy Erfmann)
Otto Fraunhofer	....	special effects makeup lab assistant
Horst Kirchberger	....	makeup artist
Heiner Niehues	....	makeup artist (as Heiner Niehaus)
Hedy Pollack	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Jürgen Bieske	....	unit manager
Lothar Ciachowski	....	unit manager: location unit
Robert Gordon Edwards	....	executive in charge of production
Mary Eilts	....	unit manager: location unit
Thomas Jauch	....	second unit manager
Michael Naimer	....	second unit manager
Harry Nap	....	production manager
José María Ramos	....	production manager: location unit (as Jose Maria Ramos)
Harold Tichenor	....	production manager: location unit

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Georg Borgel	....	first assistant director
Michael Boyadjiew	....	first assistant director
Don French	....	first assistant director
Marcia Gay	....	assistant director: second unit
Gordon Mark	....	first assistant director: location unit
Hannes Nikel	....	second unit director
Paula Swauger	....	second assistant director
Michael Waldleitner	....	assistant director: second unit
William Wilson	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Peter Classey	....	storyboard artist
Count Ul De Rico	....	conceptual artist (as Ul De Rico)
Count Ul De Rico	....	creature designer (as Ul De Rico)
Count Ul De Rico	....	scenery designer (as Ul De Rico)
Richard Eglseder	....	property master
Juan Japl	....	illustrator
Juan Japl	....	storyboard artist
Earnie Kollar	....	painter
Slavko Nikolic	....	chief construction grip
Werner Runge	....	property master
Jimmy Steppanoff	....	storyboard artist (as Jimmy Stepanoff)
Friedrich Thaler	....	scenic painter
Josip Trupinovic	....	storyboard artist
Wayne McLaughlin	....	property master: Canada (uncredited)

Sound Department
Werner Böhm	....	adr mixer
Peter Bond	....	additional sound editor
Milan Bor	....	sound mixer
Eva Claudius	....	dialogue editor (as Eve Claudius)
Angelika Gruber	....	assistant sound effects editor
Michaela Heinemann	....	assistant dialogue editor
Hans-Walter Kramski	....	foley artist (as Hans Kramsky)
Mel Kutbay	....	foley artist
Mike Le Mare	....	supervising sound editor
Norbert Lill	....	sound assistant
Evelyn Lukas	....	assistant sound effects editor
Ed Parente	....	production sound mixer
Ron Pender	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Angela Picker	....	assistant foley editor
Brigitte Platzer	....	assistant sound effects editor
Chris Price	....	production sound mixer
Trevor Pyke	....	sound mixer
Heinz Schürer	....	foley mixer
Karola Storr	....	foley editor

Special Effects by
Colin Arthur	....	special effects sculpture supervisor
Robin Beers	....	special effects painter
Francis Coates	....	animatronics model maker
Steve Cullane	....	senior special effects engineer
Carlos Rojo Del Rey	....	modeler
Peter Dürst	....	special effects buyer
Ulrich Fickel	....	special effects electronics coordinator
Chris Gant	....	assistant special effects technician
John Gant	....	senior special effects technician
Martin Gant	....	senior model maker
Karlheinz Ganzer	....	special effects buyer (as Karl Heinz Ganzer)
Maja Grassinger	....	creature operator coordinator (as Maia Grassinger)
Ernst Gschwind	....	special effects engineer (as Ernst Geschwind)
Jez Harris	....	animatronics engineer
Ken Herd	....	senior special effects engineer
Kevin Herd	....	special effects engineer
Ron Hone	....	special effects engineering supervisor
Guy Hudson	....	senior special effects technician
Brian Johnson	....	director of special effects
Bob Keen	....	animatronics engineer
Helmut Klee	....	senior special effects technician
Paul Knowles	....	senior special effects engineer
Phil Knowles	....	special effects supervisor: main unit (as Philip Knowles)
Wolfgang Lempp	....	special effects electronic design engineer
Bodo Marquardt	....	special effects electronic engineer
Antonio Paramo	....	chief modeler
Maria Pino	....	latex specialist
Alan Poole	....	special effects technician
Hugo Reveley	....	assistant special effects technician
Michael Rotter	....	modeler
Peter Rotter	....	special effects buyer
Vincent R. Rotter	....	special effects sculptor
Josef Schmid	....	special effects engineer
Fritz Segl	....	modeler
Neil Swan	....	senior special effects technician
Giuseppe Tortora	....	chief animatronics engineer: mechanical special effects creatures
Nigel Trevessey	....	animatronics engineer
Avril Vellacott	....	special effects sculptor
Richard Watkinson	....	special effects painter
Karl Weinert	....	modeler
Twyla Weixl	....	assistant: Brian Johnson
Michael White	....	chief effects unit supervisor (as Mike White)
Barry Whitrod	....	special effects supervisor: second unit
Karin Hanson	....	special effects hair (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
David Adams	....	cameraman: motion control unit
Steven Archer	....	stop-motion animator (as Steve Archer)
Bob Ballan	....	model maker
Rick Barham	....	gaffer: motion control unit
Craig Barron	....	supervising matte photographer
Dennis Bartlett	....	optical consultant: motion control unit (as Dennis C. Bartlett)
David Berry	....	optical line-up: ILM
Patricia Blau	....	production coordinator
Donald Clark	....	optical printer operator: ILM (as Don Clark)
Jim Danforth	....	matte artist: ILM
Dorothy Dealtry	....	miniature sculptor
John Ellis	....	optical printer operator: ILM
Christopher Evans	....	matte artist: ILM (as Chris Evans)
David Fincher	....	matte photography assistant: ILM (as Dave Fincher)
Tony Fox	....	engineer: motion control unit
Mark Gardiner	....	cameraman: motion control unit
Tim Geideman	....	optical processing: ILM
Ralph Gordon	....	optical line-up: ILM
Caroleen Green	....	matte artist: ILM
Keith Holland	....	optical cameraman
Peg Hunter	....	optical line-up: ILM
Brian Johnson	....	director of visual effects
Ed Jones	....	optical line-up: ILM
Rashid Khares	....	motion control unit assistant (as Rashid Kahres)
Herbert Labusga	....	creature builder
Dennis Lowe	....	supervisor: motion control unit
Michael Moore	....	editorial assistant
Deborah Morgan	....	matte photography assistant: ILM
Duncan Myers	....	optical processing: ILM
Bruce Nicholson	....	optical supervisor
Frank Ordaz	....	matte artist: ILM
Michael Pangrazio	....	matte painting supervisor
Nick Pollock	....	computer consultant: motion control unit
Thomas Rosseter	....	optical line-up: ILM (as Tom Rosseter)
Howard Stein	....	editorial supervisor: ILM
Peter Tyler	....	cameraman: motion control unit
Jan Valach	....	creature builder
Vladimir Valach	....	creature builder
Mat Beck	....	visual effects aerial camera operator: Apogee (uncredited)
Ned Gorman	....	production buyer (uncredited)

Stunts
Mario Behr	....	stunts
Les Maryon	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Martin Maryon	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Bobby Porter	....	stunts
Tony Smart	....	stunt coordinator
Sebastian Fischer	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jacob Rupp	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Moshe Asher	....	first assistant camera: cloud effects unit
Uwe Bendixen	....	video supervisor
Gaby Bzdega	....	second assistant camera
Werner Deml	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Anton Egerer	....	key grip
Albert Frische	....	video assist operator
Jair Ganor	....	camera operator: cloud effects unit
Anette Haellmigk	....	first assistant camera
Frank Heinig	....	camera assistant: cloud effects unit
Eduard Kagermeier	....	gaffer: second unit
Dieter König	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Clay Lacy	....	aerial photographer
Peter Maiwald	....	camera operator
Gerhard Neumeier	....	key grip: second unit
Franz Rath	....	director of photography: second unit
Eddy Saller	....	head gaffer (as Edi Saller)
Karl-Heinz Vogelmann	....	still photographer
Achim Wagner	....	grip: second unit
Robert Wiesmann	....	camera maintenance technician
Steve Wright	....	aerial photographer (as Steven J. Wright)
Markus Blunder	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Joseph Lederer	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sebastian Bulst	....	assistant creature costumer
Hasan Dogan	....	assistant creature costumer
Gwendolin Hallhuber	....	assistant creature costumer
Reinhard Hellmann	....	assistant costume designer
Bernhard Kleber	....	wardrobe
Gaby Klimek	....	wardrobe
Katharina Litzinger	....	wardrobe mistress
Jörg Trees	....	creature costumer
Uta Trinks	....	assistant creature costumer

Editorial Department
Marie-Louise Beutner	....	editorial assistant (as Marie Luise Beutner)
Elfriede Eitermoser	....	negative cutter
Robert Gavin	....	first assistant editor
Christoph Hof	....	editorial librarian
Christine Jahn	....	editorial assistant (as Christiane Jahn)
Peter Kahle	....	negative cutter
Carola Mai	....	editorial assistant
Helga Mensfeld	....	color grader
Claudia Remak	....	editorial assistant
Gordon Stainforth	....	editorial assistant

Music Department
Robert Hathaway	....	music editor (as Bob Hathaway)
Tommy Klemt	....	music sound engineer
Peter Kramper	....	music sound engineer

Other crew
Jean Bereziuk	....	continuity coordinator
Renate Berger	....	production secretary
Kristina Brandner	....	continuity coordinator: second unit
Josef Danzer	....	production assistant (as Sepp Danzer)
Robert Easton	....	dialogue coach
Sharron Gold	....	continuity coordinator: second unit
Anna Gross	....	production executive
Kirsten Hager	....	assistant: Bernd Eichinger
Josef Hainer	....	production assistant
Robert Hottarex	....	unit assistant: cloud effects unit
Martin Kayser-Landwehr	....	unit assistant: cloud effects unit (as Martin Landwehr)
Raoul Leindecker	....	production assistant
Petra Lex	....	production assistant
Annie Nap-Oleon	....	production coordinator
Norbert Noll	....	production assistant
Philip Remy	....	production assistant
Gaby Richter	....	groom
Ilse Schwarzwald	....	production secretary
Sigi Steiner	....	production accountant
Duncan Stewart	....	production accountant
Quentin Jones	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Connie Oettl	....	puppeteer (uncredited)
Ottokar Runze	....	dubbing director (uncredited)
Adam Samuelson	....	louma crane technician (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Neue Constantin Film (as a Neue Constantin Film production)
• Bavaria Studios (in collaboration with)
• Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) (in collaboration with) (as WDR)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (present) (as Warner Bros.)
• Producers Sales Organization (present)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1984) (USA) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Constantin Video (1994) (Germany) (video) (laserdisc)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-Ray Disc)
• Suevia Films (2004) (Spain) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1985) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2001) (Brazil) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) (uncredited)

Other Companies

• B.C.I. Casting  additional casting: USA
• Apogee Productions  aerial photography (as Apogee)
• Arkadon  motion control equipment (as Arkadon {London})
• Bavaria Musik-Studios  music recorded at (as Bavaria Music Studios)
• Clay Lacy Aviation  aerial photography
• Continental Camera Systems  aerial photography
• EMI Records  soundtrack published by (as EMI America)
• Soundport Studio  music recorded at
• Technicolor  prints by
• Technovision  anamorphic lenses (as Technovision {London-Rome})
• VISA  Vistavision camera equipment

Also Known As:

The NeverEnding Story (UK) (USA)
The Neverending Story (International: English title)

Runtime:

102 min | 94 min (international version)

Country:

West Germany | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:All | New Zealand:G | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Canada:F (Ontario) | Finland:K-8 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:U | USA:PG | West Germany:6 (w) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Canada:G (Nova Scotia/Quebec)

Filming Locations:

Bavaria Filmstudios, Geiselgasteig, Grünwald, Bavaria, Germany

Company:

Neue Constantin Film

Trivia:

Falkore is actually a 43-foot long motorized creature with 6,000 plastic scales and pink feather-fur. His head his three feet tall and long, and has a long tongue in the mouth.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Bastien and his father are talking at breakfast his father drinks about half of his egg drink before sitting down, later when he picks it back up again the cup is about three quarters full again.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Bastian's Father: Good morning, Bastian.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Family Guy: Breaking Out Is Hard to Do (#4.9)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

The Neverending Story

This is such a BEAUTIFUL film, with a message that will never die.

Although I was only a year old when the Neverending Story first came out, I remember watching it over and over as a little girl. My grandma got it for me when I was little and I remember making her watch it with me almost every day--sometimes two or three times in the same day. Then somehow I lost the tape, and although I still remembered and loved the movie, I forgot just how magical it really was. Then finally, (after years of "I wonder what happened to...") I found it. I realize now that in finding it I not only rediscovered a part of myself, but a beautiful world I forgot existed.

I admit that I am still waiting for a luck dragon to come and take me home to Fantasia. I belong there. A part of me lives there and so does a part of everyone, although they may not be aware of it. This is without a doubt the most beautiful movie ever made (although Legend comes close) and its message will never die as long as people hold on to their dreams. Barret Oliver's performance as Bastian still makes me cry. He speaks to that part of all of us that is not afraid to "do what we dream." Noah Hathaway was perfect for the part of Atreyu. He is one of the most beautiful and realistic heroes ever depicted. And Tami Stronach as the Childlike Empress (Moon Child) remains one of the most beautiful characters ever to grace the screen. The acting is wonderful, and the background scenery is breathtaking.

But the Neverending Story is more than just a movie. It speaks to that part in all of us that will never let go of our dreams. It is a story that will never end as long as there are people to appreciate its message. Everyone should see this movie and remember: Fantasia IS real. And "Fantasia can arise in you."