Stardust is a 2007 fantasy film directed by Matthew Vaughn. The film is based on Neil Gaiman’s novel of the same name, illustrated by Charles Vess, originally published by DC Comics, and stars an ensemble cast including Claire Danes, Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Charlie Cox, Sienna Miller, Rupert Everett, Ricky Gervais, Nathaniel Parker, Peter O’Toole, David Kelly, and Mark Heap. Narration is by Sir Ian McKellen.
Tristan Thorn (Charlie Cox) is the son of Dunstan Thorn and Una, a captive princess. The couple met only one night and fell in love instantly. Unfortunately, when Tristan was born, Una was not allowed to keep him and instead sent him to live with his father. She put in his basket a “Babylon candle”, and a letter to Tristan explaining everything.
The story then jumps eighteen years to Tristan as a young man, in love with the prettiest girl, Victoria (Sienna Miller) in a small English town (Wall Village). He is desperate to bring her a newly fallen star by her birthday. He uses the candle to fly to where the star landed, which is not in England but a magical land called Stormhold. But then he discovers that the star is not what he expected. It is actually a beautiful, young and spirited woman named Yvaine (Claire Danes). Despite this, Tristan is determined to marry Victoria and uses a silver chain that his father obtained after trying to free Una to take Yvaine to England, promising to use the last of the magic candle to take her back to the sky afterwards.
After being changed back into a human Tristan is too woozy to continue the journey and the two stop at an inn. Tristan tells Yvaine that he returns her love. While Yvaine sleeps, Tristan cuts a piece of her hair and goes back to England to tell Victoria that he no longer loves her. However when he tries to give Victoria the hair he finds that it has turned into stardust, or rock. He realizes that Yvaine cannot enter England and stay in human form and hurries back to the other side of the wall to find her.
Unfortunately, he arrives too late. Yvaine and Una have both been captured by Lamia and taken back to The Lilim’s castle, Yvaine to be killed and Una to be a servant. Tristan, with the help of Septimus, manages to defeat Mormo and Empusa but Lamia kills Septimus and Tristan is forced to fight the prince’s animated corpse. Lamia nearly kills Tristan but Yvaine, now armed with the knowledge that Tristan really loves her, is able to unleash a powerful wave of light that disintegrates Lamia. Tristan picks up the magic necklace and becomes the next king of the land (Una was the king’s daughter, making Tristan the last male heir). He becomes king with Yvaine at his side as queen. It is stated that the two will live forever since Yvaine “gave” him her heart when she fell in love with him. After several generations pass, the two lovers use another Babylon candle that Una gives them to return to the sky, where they become twin stars.