40 years ago, our imagination flew into the realm of Fantàsia; the magical world populated by fairy-tale creatures The Neverending Story. The most loved fantasy of the Eighties debuted in West Germany on April 6, 1984. Employing a budget of 25 million dollarsit was the most expensive German film ever made (until then). Directed by Wolfgang Petersenthe famous director originally from Emden who passed away at the age of 81 in 2022, the film is based on the homonymous bestseller for children by Michael Ende which has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. The history of the metanovel, or a “book within a book”, has conquered generations. Who among us has never dreamed of escaping from elementary school bullies on the back of a flying dog or cried rivers of tears for the poor horse Artax, swallowed up in the Marshes of Sadness!?
With 100 million dollars in revenue, The Neverending Story became a smash hit that spawned two less-than-memorable sequels: The Neverending Story 2 (1990) e The Neverending Story 3 (1994). However, he remains immortal the main song of the film The NeverEnding Storyperformed by the British Limahl, former leader of Kajagoogoo, and written by Keith Forsey with music by George Moroder. Today, The Neverending Story is ready to return to fulfill our wishes with a TV series for streaming platforms. Copyright permitting. Yes, because at the time the film adaptation sent the writer himself into a rage who wished the producers the plague. Forty years later, we discover what happened to the young protagonists of our childhood fantasy.
Barret Oliver as Bastian
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The introverted protagonist with a fervent imagination and iconic bowl-cut. Together with him we sighed for every page we read and dreamed of seeing his every wish come true: because the more he expressed them, the more splendid the kingdom of Fantàsia would become.
What is Bastian doing today?
Former teen actor of the 80s, he was the star of DARYL, Cocoon and the short Frankenweenie by Tim Burton. He left Hollywood to join the Church of Scientology, before becoming a contemporary artist and specializing in a particular vintage photographic technique known as “Woodburytype”. Today, at the age of 51, Barret Oliver continues to live in Los Angeles where he teaches photography and writes books on the subject. His works are exhibited in museums and galleries.
Noah Hathaway as Atreyu
The boy warrior of the Greenskins tribe, recruited by the Child Empress to defeat the Nothing. United with little Bastian, we cried bitterly for Atreyu and his steed Artax, swallowed up by the Marshes of Sadness. The same horse from which the then 12-year-old actor fell, disastrously, on the set of the film. An accident that caused him several spinal problems.
Noah Hathaway today
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