Some movies are more than just movies. They become part of childhood — stories that stay with people long after they have grown up.

The NeverEnding Story is one of them.

Released in 1984, Wolfgang Petersen’s fantasy classic follows Bastian, a lonely young boy who discovers a mysterious book in an old bookstore. As he begins to read, he is drawn into Fantasia, a magical world slowly being destroyed by a mysterious force known as the Nothing.

At the center of the adventure is Atreyu, a young warrior chosen to save Fantasia. Along the way comes Falkor, the enormous white luckdragon whose friendly face and unforgettable appearance became one of the most recognizable images of 1980s fantasy cinema.

But The NeverEnding Story was not simply a colorful adventure.

It also gave an entire generation some of its most emotional childhood memories.

One of the most heartbreaking moments comes when Atreyu desperately tries to save his beloved horse, Artax, from the Swamps of Sadness. The scene has remained one of the film’s most haunting moments decades after its release.

And then there is Falkor.

For countless children, watching Atreyu soar through the clouds on the back of the giant white luckdragon felt like stepping into a dream. Fantasia seemed real, and for a little while, anything seemed possible.

That sense of wonder is what made the film so special.

More than 40 years later, The NeverEnding Story is once again being talked about. The original film returned to theaters for anniversary screenings, giving longtime fans a chance to revisit a world they had not seen on the big screen in decades.

But the biggest news is that the story itself is coming back.

A new series of live-action films is being developed based on Michael Ende’s original novel, offering a new generation a chance to discover Fantasia while giving longtime fans another reason to return to the story they grew up with.

Modern technology could make Fantasia bigger, more detailed and more spectacular than ever before.

But the real challenge will not be the special effects.

It will be capturing the feeling of the original.

The feeling of opening a mysterious book and believing another world might exist inside it.

The feeling of seeing Falkor flying through the clouds.

The feeling of being a child and believing that imagination could save an entire world.

More than four decades have passed since The NeverEnding Story first appeared on screen.

But for those who grew up with it, the story never really ended.

Now, Fantasia is opening its gates once again.