The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter
International theatrical release poster by Renato Casaro
Directed by	George T. Miller
Produced by	Dieter Geissler
Screenplay by	Karin Howard
Starring	Jonathan Brandis Kenny Morrison Clarissa Burt John Wesley Shipp Martin Umbach
Music by	Robert Folk
Cinematography	David Connell
Editing by	Chris Blunden Peter Hollywood
Studio	CineVox Filmproduktion
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	October 25, 1990 (1990-10-25) (Germany)
Running time	90 minutes
Country	West Germany United States
Language	English
Money made	$17.4 million

The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter is a 1990 German-American fantasy film and a sequel to The NeverEnding Story. It was directed by George T. Miller and stars Jonathan Brandis as Bastian Bux, Kenny Morrison as Atreyu, and Alexandra Johnes as the Childlike Empress. The only actor to return from the first film was Thomas Hill as Carl Conrad Coreander. The film used plot elements from Michael Ende's novel The Neverending Story (primarily the second half) but introduced a new storyline. Upon its American theatrical release in 1991, the Bugs Bunny animated short "Box-Office Bunny" was shown before the film. This short was also included on the VHS and LaserDisc release later that year.

Plot

Bastian Balthazar Bux seeks to join his school's swimming team, but his ability to jump off a diving board is marred by his acrophobia (fear of heights). He revisits Carl Conrad Coreander's antiquarian bookstore to seek advice on courage, where he rediscovers the Neverending Story and hears the Childlike Empress call out to him for aid. Bastian takes the book home while the Auryn amulet magically comes off the book cover which Bastian takes and is summoned to Fantasia, where he meets a bird-like creature named Nimbly and is reunited with Atreyu. After the group encounters and escapes from giants, Bastian comes to understand that a force called "Emptiness" is spreading across Fantasia. This force has been brought about by the evil sorceress Xayide, who seeks to seize power over Fantasia. To hinder Bastian's quest, Xayide's inventor Tri-Face develops an apparatus that strips Bastian of a memory each time he uses the Auryn amulet to make a wish. Nimbly was sent as a spy to persuade Bastian to make wishes until he is unable to remember why he came to Fantasia.

Bastian and Atreyu seek out and capture Xayide. She seems to abandon her quest for power and agrees to lead the two to the Childlike Empress. During the travel to the Empress's castle, Xayide tricks Bastian into believing that his friends will turn against him and manages to get him to wish for a series of ridiculous wishes. It also becomes obvious to Atreyu that they are being led aimlessly. Meanwhile, Bastian's father Barney has noticed his son's disappearance. He finds the Neverending Story in Bastian's room and sees a sticker on the front cover listing the bookstore's address. Barney rushes to confront Mr. Coreander, who simply tells him that he will find the answers to his son's whereabouts inside the book. Returning later with a police officer, Barney is shocked to see the bookstore abandoned. Eventually, Barney reads the book and is surprised to see his son's exploits in Fantasia being written by the book itself and that he is mentioned within.

Atreyu determines what Xayide is planning, while Bastian is fully persuaded that Atreyu has turned on him. In a struggle between the two, Atreyu is knocked over a cliff and falls to his death. Returning to Xayide, Bastian discovers the apparatus for himself and learns that he only has two memories left, consisting of his mother and father. Bastian uses his penultimate memory of his mother to wish Atreyu back to life. Xayide tries to force Bastian to use his last wish to return home. Bastian agrees to do so, but wishes for the sorceress "to have a heart" instead. This fills Xayide with emotion, negating the Emptiness within her and which she controls. Overcome with compassion, Xayide explodes in a blast of light, and Fantasia is restored. Having been freed, the Childlike Empress thanks Bastian for his help while Bastian gives her the Auryn amulet and shows him the way home: a cliff overlooking a waterfall to help Bastian overcome his fear of heights. Encouraged by Barney and Atreyu, Bastian jumps off and returns home safely while the Auryn amulet magically goes back onto the book cover.

Cast

• Jonathan Brandis as Bastian Balthazar Bux
• Kenny Morrison as Atreyu
• Clarissa Burt as Xayide
• John Wesley Shipp as Barney Bux (Bastian's father)
• Alexandra Johnes as Childlike Empress
• Thomas Hill as Carl Conrad Coreander
• Donald Arthur (voice) as Falkor
• Martin Umbach as Nimbly
• Noah Hathaway (uncredited archival footage) as Atreyu
• Dan Fincher (uncredited voice) as Rockbiter

Soundtrack

See also

In Spanish: The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter para niños