The Neverending Story Gets a Remake
Leave it to Hollywood to take a bad situation and make it worse. We’re no longer getting just one remake announcement per day… now they’re coming in pairs! I am pretty sure there will come a day where we can go back to the mid-’80s and compare the local movie listings to the present day and find almost no difference between the two. Scary thought. Our second remake announcement of the day concerns a fantasy film that kinda freaked me out when I was a kid: Wolfgang Petersen’s Die Unendliche Geschichte… better known as The NeverEnding Story!
According to The Hollywood Reporter, both Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way company and The Kennedy/Marshall Co. (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) are in talks with Warner Brothers to bring back the franchise with a “modern spin”. Obviously kids fantasy films are huge right now, but aren’t there a ton of stories out there that haven’t already been told? One reason why a remake might be interesting is because the first film only covered about half of Michael Ende’s original novel, so there is more source material to draw from (although some of this was touched on in The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter). What do you think, is this a movie that needs to be reinvented for a new generation? Did you find the original as disturbing as I did?
Comments (21)
They already made a modern day Remake of the Never Ending Story. It went straight to DVD; and I could only bare the first 20 minutes of it. I loved the first one, a lot, though. Making a remake sounds like a cool thought, with the CG these days; but deep down, I’m hoping it doesn’t happen. Some cult classics are better
Posted by Derek on February 26th, 2009left alone. They might as well do a remake of
The Labrinth.
Dude. Of COURSE it’s a good idea, I can’t wait :]
Posted by Gabby on February 26th, 2009Like I always think about remakes: “this could be good with a visionary director attached but since only 10% of all the directors that exist are visionaries (and visionaries usually don’t want to participate in remakes) this will probably blow.”
People talk about their childhood being raped all the time but a shit remake of this film would definitely penetrate my childhood in some way.
“Did you find the original as disturbing as I did?”
Are you serious? Come to think of it–I’ve always found 80’s fantasy films a bit creepy for some reason but I liked that vibe (and that vibe hasn’t been replicated since that decade). I think it’s all the puppets.
Puppets are creepy in real life. The featurette on Dark Crystal made the set and workshop look scary.
Posted by Ryan M. on February 26th, 2009What is the total number of remakes already announced this year? We’re not fully 2 months in and i feel like theres at least 20.
Posted by Dugen on February 26th, 2009damn…fuck hollywood and such…man…so I guess im just going to start LOVING remakes of my favorite movies…its getting way to exhausting putting out all the hate….
God dammit I love The NEVERENDING STORY
Posted by Bob The Slob on February 27th, 2009Neverending Story is a film that has not aged well so I don’t mind a remake. I loved this film as a kid but watching it again a few years ago I couldn’t get through it.
Posted by swarez on February 27th, 2009has not aged well to you…I’m sorry but I dont think a “contemporary” cgi shitstorm will be much better
Posted by Bob The Slob on February 27th, 2009How do you know?
Posted by swarez on February 27th, 2009I tire of hearing about these bullshit remakes. It doesn’t piss me off, really, but it’s just a shame there aren’t people willing to make films that can be for this generation of kids what the films of the 1980’s were to my generation.
Posted by Jon Rocks on February 27th, 2009Yeah, I’m kind of in the same boat. I’m getting really tired of hearing, “X is announced to remake Y”. It’s not even surprising… nor even annoying. Just kind of… depressing. There’s definitely plenty of material floating around. Why take the easy way out and wear out a (neverending) story that’s already been told?
Posted by Falsk on February 27th, 2009I’ve been watching this movie for the last 14 years. I grew up with it and as lame as it is I even tattooed the auryn on my leg. However I have to agree with 90% of the people and turn my back to the possibility of a remake. I also agree that half of Ende’s book wasn’t in the movie and it would be nice if oh I don’t know Peter Jackson remade it, but most childhood classic remakes fall hard.
If this remake goes through it will take away the nostalgic image the first one brings to all the fans of the movie. I’m pretty disappointed that it was even a consideration.
My suggestion: Go see Noah Hathaway as Turok in the Troll remake thats in pre-production now. It will be better than this.
Posted by The_Empress on February 28th, 2009You guys need to stop whining about the movies that people choose to make. Who cares if someone wants to remake a movie? I think it’s a good thing, especially for The Never Ending Story. It has a lot of potential, and if it doesn’t work at least they tried. AND nothing can ruin the original.
Posted by Brandon on May 21st, 2009Thanks God there will be a remake. Hope this time make Michael Ende pride of his novel, which is exquisite, and not necesarily childish story. I recommend the book, it is one of my favourite books! The movie also, when I was a child.
Posted by mike on June 7th, 2009What’s the point of a remake? Nearly all of today’s kids know and love the original as much as the 80’s kids, so therefore they will hate it just as much. I hope the remake cripples the Warner studios so bad that they have to go into administration – along with Dimension films. Teach these idiots all a lesson for plastering us with sh*t. And mike, the book was sh*t, the original film was a classic. Looking forward to a remake filled with CGI fake looking dragon’s and mystical creatures and a lame script with kid’s who can’t act.
Posted by Alice Keymer on September 20th, 2009The majesty and brilliance that is Fantasia was not fully realized with 1980’s special effects… Imagine the “Never Ending Story” as beautiful as “Avatar”. Kind of similar too, you’ll be jumping back and forth from CG to reality… slippery slope…
Anyone know if they are going to do it in 3D?
Posted by Richard on December 22nd, 2009This is a book that could survive a new series in my opinion. A ‘modern spin’ is the bit that makes me cringe. I really hope that isn’t an excuse to stray too far from the original text.
The the movie’s werewolf haunted my nightmares as a child. Little did I know how much more I’d enjoy the werewolf of the novel.
I’m sure I’ll be there opening night with rock bottom expectations and a good deal of hope.
Posted by Andrew on March 9th, 2010I recently watched the 80’s film and read the book and found that Ende’s book has a lot of depth that the old film just didn’t capture. And I also agree that the original film hasn’t aged well.
Posted by Charlotte on May 27th, 2010The old film has a lot of great qualities, but I’d like to see a new film that captures a lot of what the book has to offer. A film that stays truer to the book sounds good to me. It also sounds great that apparently the writer for the 80’s film may be working on the remake. I like the 1980’s puppetry (I wish that could stay in the new film), but I have to say the 80’s CGI was pretty brutal. A combination of new CGI and a better and more detailed storyline would do that film wonders (and maybe even orchestrated soundtrack as opposed to the 80’s techno song).
I also don’t think a remake should necessarily be destroying one’s childhood memories. New musicians and bands remake classic old songs all the time, directors can do the same to, it’s nothing to be offended or upset by.
Posted by Charlotte on May 27th, 2010The Neverending Story is an 80’s classic that needs to be left alone!
Leave it alone, it was made in the 80’s and it’s meant to stay there!
What are they gon do, start remaking every movie from the 50’s, 60’s,70’s and so on because we have better technology now???Like WTF for real?
Posted by Deni on June 7th, 2010Those are classic movies,the origionals.
The movie IS called The Neverending Story, why not just continuing the damn story and putting in a good effort???
I personally look forward to this new adaption. Most people always seem to forget that the Neverending Story was originally a book by Michael Ende NOT the film by Wolfgang Petersen.
So they are doing a retelling of the story not a remake of the original film. I just don’t get the points that people make, if you’re against it then don’t go and watch it. At the end of the day if it fails what have we got to lose? NOTHING! (although I suppose Fantasia will lose to that lol)!
Posted by AndyH on July 6th, 2010It is my most favorite book ever and the movies thus far made did not do it justice! I never saw it as a children’s book. There was a reason the Green party in Europe took this book up as a “bible” of sorts? it is awash with political statements. I am hoping a remake might actually do it justice as the first one did not! It was pure fantasy. They could not even make Bastion fat, like he was in the book? That was partly why he was so bullied as so many other kids have been? Here was a connection sadly missed? As a teacher, I hoped they could have at least been “real” to the story especially on this issue since they marketed the movie to kids. Here is hoping to a better job the third time around, if not I just keep retracing my favorite book ( and I am 60)!
Posted by Kathy W on January 30th, 2011Leave a Reply