The NeverEnding Story
Directed by Wolfgang Petersen
Written by Wolfgang Petersen and Herman Weigel
Starring Noah Hathaway, Barret Oliver, Tami Stronach, Alan Oppenheimer
Warner Bros. Entertainment
Rated PG | 102 minutes
Release Date: July 20, 1984

Fathom Events and Warner Brothers Entertainment have brought the 1984 classic The NeverEnding Story back to theaters for a special two-day engagement. The first day was Sunday, and my wife and I took our son to watch a movie we both grew up watching with such fond memories. The film is introduced by film critic Ben Lyons, and features a wonderful behind the scenes documentary “Reimagine the NeverEnding Story,” containing interviews with writer/director Wolfgang Petersen (Das Boot, Troy), and members of the cast and crew. The film, made in Germany was auspicious to say the least. This was 1984 and CGI was not around. All the sets, creatures, and characters were done the old school way; puppets, models, miniatures, and blue screen. The movie is based on the novel by Michael Ende, though his name doesn’t make the credits. Ende and Petersen got into a disagreement over the creative process and the author stormed away threatening to halt production, alas to no effect.

More below.

A new Spotify ad has been released that reunites two of the characters from 1984’s The NeverEnding Story, a childhood favorite of many. The fantasy epic was directed by Wolfgang Petersen (Das Boot, Troy), based on the novel of the same name by Michael Ende.

The ad reunites Atreyu with the flying luckdragon Falkor, but even better than that, they actually got the original actors who portrayed the characters, Noah Hathaway and Alan Oppenheimer, to reprise their roles.

You can see the ad, along with a behind the scenes making of video that might be even more entertaining than the ad itself, below.