Rights for the children’s fantasy book The Never Ending Story have reportedly sparked a frantic bidding war between several bidders.
Rights to The Never Ending Story, which was adapted into a successful children’s fantasy movie back in the 1980s, are reportedly in the sights of several of the major streaming platforms. The 1979 novel by German author, Micheal Ende was memorably adapted into a classic 1984 fantasy flick which true to its name, spawned several sequels.
Deadline is reporting that there are several multi-million dollar offers on the table for the property, with the thinking being that this could be the next big fantasy title. The franchise’s iconic 80s status won’t hurt either, with Netflix already proving that a combination of 1980s nostalgia and youth-oriented programming can hit a very, very sweet spot in viewing numbers with its Cobra Kai series, itself a spinoff of the 1980s Karate Kid movies, being a prime example.
Of course, this goes without adding that fantasy is a big deal right now with both House Of The Dragon and The Rings of Power renewing interest in the genre that has seen a surge in popularity in recent years. The Never Ending Story 'follows a boy who happens upon a magical book that tells of a young warrior given the task of stopping the Nothing, a dark force, from engulfing the wonderland world of Fantasia.’
Whether the property ends up being a film or a TV show is as yet, unclear but with the rights now seemingly up for grabs following years of legal back and forth, it seems like it only be a matter of time before a victor is announced and we hear further plans. We’ll let you know when that happens. And if the resultant series traumatises small children in the same manner of the original film.
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