The Shawshank Redemption celebrates its premiere anniversary. Interesting facts about the best  film of all time

On September 10, 1994, Frank Darabont's drama "The Shawshank Redemption" premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film, which was not an instant box office success, later became a cult classic and still holds the No. 1 spot on IMDb.

What is the film about

The plot centers around the story of banker Andy Dufresne, who ends up in Shawshank Prison for a crime he did not commit. There he finds a true friend, Red, and despite the cruelty of prison life, he retains hope for freedom.

Interesting facts about "The Shawshank Redemption"

• Is Red Irish? In Stephen King's original novel, Red was Irish. Despite the fact that he was played by Morgan Freeman in the film, they left a line: "Maybe because I'm Irish" - as a humorous hint.
• Casting favorites. The role of Andy was initially offered to Tom Hanks, but he was already preparing for "Forrest Gump." A young Brad Pitt was considered for the role of Tommy Williams.
• King and Darabont's friendship. Stephen King sold the film rights to the story for just USD 1 because he was friends with the director.
• Family ties. Red's papers for the parole board used a photo of Morgan Freeman's son, Alfonso.
• The mysticism of the number 237. Red's cell is numbered 237 - the same number appears in "The Shining" and "Stand by Me," other King films.
• Filming location. Exteriors were filmed at the Mansfield (Ohio) prison. Due to the dilapidated condition of the building, the interiors were recreated in the studio pavilions, as the producers calculated that building the sets in the studio would be cheaper than renovating the prison.
• Strict control by the Humanist Association. During the filming of the scene with the crow eating a larva, they had to look for an insect that had died a natural death, because the Association spoke out against "cruelty".

As a reminder, the trailer for the film "The Running Man" based on the novel by Stephen King was released earlier.