Shawshank Redemption Cast Explain What Most Fans Never Figured Out

The Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 film about Andy Dufresne, a banker sentenced to life in prison for murder. He claims to be innocent. The film shows his life in prison and the relationships he makes. The film didn't do as well as expected when it was released. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards and is now regarded as one of the greatest films of all time. Here are some facts about The Shawshank Redemption. Frank Darabont was offered $2.5 million to make the film. Darabont turned Reiner down, saying it was his chance to do something great. He was right. Reiner wanted Harrison Ford and Tom Cruise to play Red and Andy. Nobody is complaining that Darabont kept the film. Morgan Freeman was one of Red's many choices. In the book, Red is an Irish man in his 50s with red hair. Actors like Clint Eastwood, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and Harrison Ford were considered for the role. Darabont always saw Morgan Freeman as Red, so he decided to hire him. When Andy asked about Red's nickname, Darabont added, "Maybe it's because I'm Irish." Red's Past In the film, Red says he killed someone when Andy asks why he's in Shawshank. The movie leaves much of his story mysterious, but the novella explains more. Red is in prison for murdering his wife, her neighbor's wife, and her neighbor's son. Red disconnected his wife's car brakes to collect an insurance policy. He didn't know his neighbor's wife and son were in the vehicle. Not Andy's Hands Tim Robbins played Andy Dufrense, but director Frank Darabont directed the close-up shots of his hands. Darabont later added the scenes showing Dufrense loading the revolver and carving his name. Robbins' hands weren't used because Darabont wanted to do the scenes differently and decided to do them himself. It Was Considered A Box Office Flop When it first came out, The Shawshank Redemption was a box office flop. It only made $18 million, which didn't cover the cost of making the film. The film made another $10 million, but it was still a box office flop. Although the film wasn't a hit at the box office, Warner Home Video shipped 320,000 rental copies across the United States. This helped the film become one of the top rentals of the year despite the risky distribution. More Than One Freeman The photo of a young Red on his parole papers isn't Morgan Freeman. They're photos of Morgan Freeman's son, Alfonso. Alfonso had a cameo in the film, saying, "Fresh fish!" Fresh fish today! "We're catching them!" This isn't Alfonso's first appearance in one of his father's films. He was a fingerprint technician in Seven the following year. Working With A Bird Andy arrives at the library to start working with Brooks. Jake, Brook's crow, is squawking. Robbins timed his line so the bird wouldn't squawk. Over time, Robbins learned to film the bird's squawking pattern without disturbing it, which Darabont praised him for. You can see Robbins waiting for the bird to squawk before he says his line. Changing The Title The novella was initially titled Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption but shortened to The Shawshank Redemption. People in Hollywood thought the film was a biopic about actress Rita Hayworth. Before shortening the title, director Frank Darabont got requests from young actresses and supermodels to play Rita Hayworth in the film. She only appears when the inmates watch her film, Gilda. The set almost burned down. The prison cell block was built on a set with windows covered in opaque plastic sheeting. During a break, Director Frank Darabont and extra Michael C. Poole got coffee. On their way to get coffee, they found someone had put a lamp too close to the plastic. It caught fire, but they put it out, saving the set. Missing Out On An Academy Award The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards but not for production design. He had already won two Oscars, so it was strange that Shawshank didn't even earn a nomination. Frank Darabont said the prison set looked so real that most people thought it was a real prison. 100%Unique