The Shawshank Redemption is an American classic released in 1994. It is a drama film written and directed by Frank Darabont, based on Stephen King’s novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. Despite being a box office failure, the movie was critically acclaimed for its excellent execution and fabulous acting by Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman.
Morgan Freeman once shared some beautiful lines for his movie on the special day when The Shawshank Redemption completed 26 years of its original release.
Morgan Freeman’s statement on 26 years of The Shawshank Redemption
Hollywood star Morgan Freeman thanked people for making his 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption a cult classic. He posted a heartfelt tweet thanking the fans.
It has been 26 years since #ShawshankRedemption came out in theaters and I’m still thankful to everyone who made our box office flop one of the most beloved movies of all time. pic.twitter.com/cGaQX24vOa
— Morgan Freeman (@morgan_freeman) October 14, 2020
The star also shared his favorite quote from the film:
“I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope”.
The film earned $16 million at the box office worldwide.
About Morgan Freeman’s The Shawshank Redemption
Despite the poor performance of the film in 1994, the movie has gained a cult following in the past years. It is deemed one of the most iconic fiction movies on the subject of prison break. The film tells the story of two prisoners who forge a lifelong friendship. In the story, Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is a man who gets wrongly convicted for the murder of his wife and her lover. Morgan Freeman played the role of contraband smuggler Ellis Red Redding, serving a life sentence. The supporting cast includes Gil Bellows, Clancy Brown, Bob Gunton, Paul McCrane, William Sadler, and James Whitmore.
The name of the film was taken from King’s story and based on the setting of the movie, Shawshank State Penitentiary. However, Morgan Freeman didn’t care for the name and claimed it was one of the reasons for not attracting viewers to theatres.
Talking about the box office failure of the film, Freeman shared with Vanity Fair,
“Nobody could say, ‘Shawshank Redemption.’ What sells anything is word of mouth. Now, your friends say, ‘Ah, man, I saw this movie, The … what was it? Shank, Sham, Shim? Something like that. Anyways, terrific.’ Well, that doesn’t sell you.”
Reportedly, numerous A-listers were approached for the role of Andy, including Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, and Kevin Costner.
Lead actor Tim Robbins shared about getting praised for his work,
“I swear to God, all over the world—all over the world—wherever I go, there are people who say, ‘That movie changed my life.’ When I met [Nelson Mandela], he talked about loving Shawshank.”
The film was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor (Morgan Freeman).
Also read- Hollywood Legend Morgan Freeman’s Brutally Honest Reason Why He Prefers Movies Over Stage Work
Source- Twitter
