The Neverending Story is an upcoming American fantasy film based on the novel of the same name and produced by Warner Bros. It is directed by J.J. Abrams and written by Michael Arndt. It also stars Dylan Sprayberry, Jamie Blackley and Lupita Nyong'o.
Plot
A young boy named Sebastian discovers a parallel world in a book. As he immerses himself in the story, his life becomes intertwined with the plot, in which a hero in the land of Fantasia must save the universe on behalf of an empress.
Cast
- Dylan Sprayberry as Sebastian Brody
- Jamie Blackley as Atreyu
- Lupita Nyong'o as the Childlike Empress
Production
Development
In 2009, Warner Bros. acquired the rights to the 35-year-old franchise, clearing the way for a new cinematic adaptation. The treatment for the film was written by Michael Arndt, who was also hired to write the screenplay. Tom Tykwer was considered as director and he had been approached, but he was already commited to A Hologram for the King. J.J Abrams was announced in January 2013 as the director of the film, with Simon Kinberg as his project consultant.
Trivia
Differerences from the novel
- In the novel, Bastian's name is originally Bastian Balthazar Bux, but due to Abrams and Arndt wanting to update the story as much as possible the name was changed.