— Ch. 1 · Development And Adaptation History —
The Shawshank Redemption.
~5 min read · Ch. 1 of 7
Frank Darabont purchased the film rights to Stephen King's novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption for five thousand dollars in 1987. He did not begin writing the script until five years later, spending eight weeks crafting the screenplay that would become The Shawshank Redemption. Castle Rock Entertainment producer Liz Glotzer read the finished draft and threatened to quit if the studio did not produce the project. This pressure secured a twenty-five million dollar budget for the film, with pre-production starting in January 1993. Darabont turned down an offer from co-founder Rob Reiner to direct instead, choosing to remain the filmmaker despite the financial risk. Reiner had planned to cast Tom Cruise as Andy Dufresne and Harrison Ford as Red, but Darabont insisted on his own vision. King never cashed the original check for five thousand dollars; he framed it and returned it to Darabont with a note reading In case you ever need bail money.
Casting Choices And Actor Preparation
Morgan Freeman was cast as Ellis Boyd Red Redding at the suggestion of producer Liz Glotzer, ignoring the novella's description of Red as a white Irishman. Freeman opted not to research incarceration, stating that men do not change once they are inside such a situation. Tim Robbins had grown up watching Freeman on The Electric Company children's television show and was excited to work alongside him. Major stars including Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, and Kevin Costner were offered the role of Andy Dufresne but passed on the part. Hanks declined due to his commitment to Forrest Gump, while Costner chose Waterworld. Clancy Brown auditioned for the role of Warden Samuel Norton while filming Demolition Man, using a wig to simulate gray hair during screen tests. Bob Gunton performed his screen test with Robbins, which cinematographer Roger Deakins filmed to prove his suitability for the role. Robbins observed caged animals at a zoo and spent time in solitary confinement to prepare for his character.