The Neverending Story: History of the German film classic

The 1984 fantasy film ‘The Neverending Story’, directed by Wolfgang Petersen and produced by Bernd Eichinger of Constantin Film, is being featured in a primetime broadcast on Kabel Eins. Based on the successful novel by Michael Ende, the film was the most expensive German production at the time of its release, costing approximately 60 million Marks.

The production faced numerous challenges, including difficulties finding a suitable script and director before Petersen took over. During filming, various setbacks occurred, such as motorized snails damaging sets and millions of flies disrupting the filming of the ‘Swamps of Sadness’. Despite these issues, the film remains a classic of German children's and youth literature.