Revered author Stephen King is certainly best known for his work in horror, but some of his stories outside of the genre have also been turned into highly acclaimed films. One shining example is 1994’s The Shawshank Redemption, which is standing tall as one of the world’s most popular movies after over three decades.
On IMDb, The Shawshank Redemption is included on the list of the current most popular movies of the week, rising up to #46. This list is ranked by real-time user interest and page traffic, with the newer releases like Mayday, Practical Magic 2, and The Odyssey at the top for this week. If filtering the rankings to the IMDb ratings, then The Shawshank Redemption is at No. 1. With a 9.3 score based on 3.2 million votes, it is the highest-rated film on the website, putting it above The Godfather (9.1) and The Dark Knight (9.1).
Frank Darabont Brought the Stephen King Story to Life
The Shawshank Redemption was written and directed by Frank Darabont, who would go on to later create the TV series adaptation of The Walking Dead. Based on King’s 1982 novells Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, the feature film tells the story of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a banker who’s wrongly convicted of murdering his wife and her love. When he is given a life sentence to serve at a state prison, Andy befriends longtime inmate Ellis “Red” Redding (Morgan Freeman) and forms a plan to ultimately escape from captivity.
Along with Robbins and Freeman, other stars of the film include Bob Gunton (Daredevil), William Sadler (Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey), Clancy Brown (Pet Sematary Two), Gil Bellows (Ally McBeal), Mark Rolston (Aliens), and James Whitmore (Give ’em Hell, Harry!).
The Shawshank Redemption Was Ahead of Its Time
It was not an instant success financially. With a budget of $25 million, the film made less than $30 million worldwide. However, its reputation as a cinema classic grew enormously after its release on home video. Television screenings and re-releases also brought more fans to the film, which is now considered one of the best movies of all time. It was up for several Academy Awards, ultimately losing Best Picture to Forrest Gump, though many fans say it should have gotten the victory.
“When I first saw it, I realized he’d made not just one of the best movies ever done from my work, but a potential movie classic. That turned out to be the case, but [Darabont] continued working almost up to the moment the film was released,” King previously remembered about seeing the film for the first time. “Frank is mostly right, but that time I was. He’s gone on to make other great films, two from my work, I’m happy to say, but Shawshank is its own thing — an American icon — and I’m delighted to have been a part of it.”
The Shawshank Redemption is currently streaming on MGM+.
- Release Date
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September 23, 1994
- Runtime
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142 minutes
- Director
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Frank Darabont
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Tim Robbins
Andy Dufresne
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Morgan Freeman
Ellis Boyd ‘Red’ Redding
