Surprising Facts About 'The Shawshank Redemption'

When it was first released, “The Shawshank Redemption” didn’t do well at the box office. But with the positive reviews from critics and approval of staunch film aficionados, “The Shawshank Redemption” went on to become one of the greatest movies of the ‘90s. Back in the day, the movie was a hit in video rental shops and had remarkable sales when it came out on DVD. Here are some surprising facts about the film:

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1. Clint Eastwood, Paul Newman, Harrison Ford, and Robert Redford were considered for the role of Andy.

Andy is a middle-aged man with graying red hair. However, in director Frank Darabont’s head, Andy had always been Morgan Freeman due to his authoritative appeal. Though he and Tim Robbins weren’t the first choices for the role, the director and crew praised their professionalism on set.

2. Morgan Freeman considers the movie as a favorite among his works.

“The Shawshank Redemption” is probably the best one Freeman’s known for. He also did a catch scene that lasted nine hours and caused him to return to work the next day in a cast. In an interview, he said that the movie’s final title threw him off despite his liking for the script. But according to him, it’s all in the past.

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3. The director bought the book rights for $5,651.

For a Stephen King novella, Darabont had a pretty good deal. The director then wrote the script for eight weeks. Years later, they discovered that the author never cashed the check. Instead, he framed it and sent it to Darabont with a note that says, “In case you ever need bail money. Love, Steve.”

It’s amusing to know that even with initial setbacks, all the details came together and resulted in a great film. “The Shawshank Redemption” contributed to an era of great movies.

Richard Ohlhaber grew up in Chicago but has been a resident in Texas for many years now. Aside from being a Chicago sports fan, he is also fond of watching movies such as ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ and ‘The Gladiator.’ Visit this blog for more on Richard’s interests.