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Sep 18, 2019 · Throughout his career, wherein he created The Walking Dead and follow-up features such as The Green Mile and The Mist, Darabont is often reminded of a piece of filmmaking advice that he...
- Trilby Beresford
But Darabont had to go overseas to continue promoting the film. One night, he found himself at a hotel bar sitting next to Robert Benton, who had written Bonnie and Clyde and directed Kramer...
Dec 4, 2020 · Rick Hipson interviews Frank Darabont about his experiences making The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, exclusively at Cemetery Dance.
- The filmmaker looks back as the classic hits its 25th anniversary.
- The Best Movies Based on Stephen King Stories
By Tara Bennett
Posted: Sep 25, 2019 7:17 pm
Starting in the late ’80s, writer/director Frank Darabont had quite the three-decade run cranking out screenplays, directing movies, and developing television series without much downtime. By his own admission, he didn’t even bother to slow down enough to take in the ones that had crossed over into another level of success.
Case in point: The Shawshank Redemption, which he wrote and directed 25-years ago. At the time of its release in 1994, it was actually a box office disappointment. But it ascended to the level of beloved classic via home video rentals and then seemingly constant basic cable airings, before engendering a die-hard fandom that ranks it up there with the all-time greats. Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins in The Shawshank RedemptionAs Fathom Events screens the film this week in movie theaters across the country for its quarter-century anniversary (buy tickets here), Darabont told IGN that it’s only been this year that he’s allowed himself to take stock of just how much The Shawshank Redemption has impacted fans, and the little town of Mansfield, Ohio, where it was shot.
In August, 20,000 fans made a pilgrimage to the town to see Darabont, Tim Robbins (Andy) and Morgan Freeman (Red) for an anniversary screening and attend a town fair for the movie.
“It is a very surreal feeling to be back all these years later and people are still talking about it,” Darabont told IGN.
As part of the visit, Darabont introduced his wife to what was left of the iconic set that doubled as Shawshank, The Ohio State Reformatory. “They were going to tear the whole [prison] down, but because we shot the movie, the wrecking balls went away,” he explained. “It gave their community an opportunity to lobby for it to be a historical site. And now, they have a tourist industry that brings a lot of good stuff into their economy and the community has prospered because of it. I'm so happy about that.”
On a more personal level, the visit also allowed Darabont to have a private moment that really brought back the magic of the film. “I took my wife over to the spot behind the prison where Andy and Red sit against the wall in the shadow of the prison and talk about Mexico.”
He continued, “That was a really nice moment because that was, I think, my favorite day on the set, just pointing the camera at these two guys, saying ‘Action’ and seeing them deliver such beautiful work, capturing the heart of the movie in that scene really.” Frank Darabont and Morgan Freeman on the set of The Shawshank Redemption“She was really pleased to be there for that,” Darabont adds with pride. “I think we're going to go back more often. I don't think we're waiting another 25 years. I'm not going to be doddering in there when I'm 85,” he laughed.
Get your tickets for Fathom Events’ The Shawshank Redemption anniversary screening right here!
Twenty-five years ago, The Shawshank Redemption finished as a first-run failure that seemed sentenced to obscurity. But then Frank Darabont ‘s stirring cellblock epic found an unlikely reprieve...
Mar 30, 2021 · Darabont loved the idea, and Freeman signed on, eventually earning an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. And sure, his hair wasn't red, but Darabont got around that by writing a joke to explain...
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Sep 19, 2019 · Frank Darabont talks about how "The Shawshank Redemption" is still relevant 25 years after its release.
