As You Wish Means I Love You
The Princess Bride (1987) is a cult classic film that holds a special place in many people’s hearts, especially those who worked on it. If you’re like me, you’re curious about the facts behind the scenes of the legendary film. Be warned: some of the details on this list might take you by surprise!
The Film Was In Development Limbo For Years
The writer, William Goldman, had been trying to get the screenplay picked up since day one of the book being published. It would take over 10 years for the stars to align for the film to have a chance.
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
Several Directors Tried And Failed To Adapt The Film
Richard Lester, François Truffaut, Robert Redford, and Norman Jewison were all primed to take a shot at adapting the book. But all were shut down by their production companies or shafted by a lack of funding. It came down to the inability to pinpoint the film’s genre. It led to a big consequence.
A Certain Cinema gallery, Wikimedia Commons
William Goldman Bought Back His Rights
After so many failed attempts at its adaptation, Goldman bought back his rights to the book when it went up for auction. He wanted the adaptation to be as true to the story as possible. Then they finally found their director.
Gotfryd, Bernard, Wikimedia Commons
It Was Called Unfilmable
It wasn’t until director Rob Reiner took hold of the project that it finally got off the ground. In the end, 20th Century Fox has the distribution claims to this cult classic.
Montclair Film, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Rob Reiner Made The Cast Feel Like A Family
Reiner rented a house in England near the filming locations. He made it special. Often, he would invite the cast over for dinner and other get-togethers, where they would bond and get to know one another. They say this made their performances even better on screen.
Cary Elwes Had A Personal Connection To The Script
When Cary Elwes, who plays Westley, was 13, his stepfather gifted him a copy of the book. Little did he know, that book would change the trajectory of his life going forward.
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
Mandy Patinkin And Inigo Shared A Deep Connection
Mandy Patinkin and his character, the swashbuckling Inigo who swears vengeance on his father, actually had a close bond. Both the actor and the character lost their fathers, and Patinkin drew on that experience while playing Inigo. Working through Inigo’s experience also helped Patinkin heal.
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
Casting Westley Was Suspenseful For Cary Elwes
Cary Elwes's audition for Westley lasted one minute. For most other auditions, you'd think this would mean "better luck next time." After the production auditioned several other actors, however, Cary got the call. They wanted him for the part, despite the short audition.
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
Casting Buttercup Took Ages
Many actresses were up for the role of Buttercup. Uma Thurman, Meg Ryan, Courteney Cox, and even Whoopi Goldberg. But none of them had that je-ne-sais-quoi they were looking for. Until they finally found their girl.
Everett Collection, Shutterstock
Robin Wright Was William Goldman’s Dream Actress
Robin Wright’s agent encouraged her to audition, and she was shy at their initial meeting. But when she met Goldman, he called her “backlit by god” and exclaimed, “that’s what I wrote”. Needless to say, she landed the role.
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
Robin Wright Made Compromises To Star In The Film
At the time, Wright was filming on a soap opera series, Santa Barbara. She had to bargain with the soap’s producers to get the time off she needed to film The Princess Bride. After the filming, she had to go back to the TV series for another year.
Dobson Productions, Santa Barbara (1984-1993)
This Former Governor Almost Played Fezzik
While casting Fezzik, lots of large-stature men were up for the part. This included Arnold Schwarzenegger. The only reason he wasn’t cast is timing. When the directors were looking elsewhere, Arnold was available. As soon as they sought him out, he was already booked.
Maureen Keating, Wikimedia Commons
A Famous NBA Player Took A Shot At The Role
Another sports player bridging the gap between athletes and actors was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the producers offered him the role of Fezzik first. Unfortunately, filming was at the same time as his NBA practice and game schedules.
Steve Jenner, Wikimedia Commons
Andre The Giant Was Meant To Be
Despite seeking all these other actors to play Fezzik, William Goldman had Andre the Giant in mind from the start. When Andre’s availability opened up, the producers of the film were quick to fill his time.
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
Vizzini Was Almost Played By This Iconic Actor
While Wallace Shawn landed the part of mastermind Vizzini, the director initially wanted Danny DeVito to play the role. But knowing DeVito was initially tagged for the role actually messed up Shawn's game when it came to filming.
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
Wallace Shawn Was Critical Of His Performance
Shawn thought highly of Danny DeVito’s talents. When they would film a scene featuring Vizzini, Shawn would compare his performance to how DeVito might have done it.
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
This Iconic Scene Barely Required Stunt People
Inigo and Wesley’s duel at the top of the Cliffs of Insanity is one of the highlights of the film, and it was done almost entirely by actors Cary Elwes and Mandy Patinkin. The only parts they were unable to perform were the flips. Both actors had a great time performing the scene.
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
It Required Historical Research—And Is Surprisingly Accurate
Author William Goldman researched 17th-century swordfighting to make the scene as accurate as possible. Even all the references are real moves and techniques!
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
Elwes Made This Fire Swamp Scene More Heroic
In the scene where Westley and Buttercup enter the fire swamp and Buttercup falls into the lightning sand, Westley was supposed to jump in after her feet first.
Cary Elwes argued it would be more heroic—and more dangerous behind the scenes—if he dove in head first. The timing worked out, and Elwes did it perfectly on the first take. But things didn't always go so smoothly.
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
Cary Elwes Sustained An Injury
On an excursion with co-star Andre the Giant, Elwes broke his toe riding an ATV. He persevered through filming, but you can see evidence of the injury as Westley tries to sit down on a log after saving Buttercup from Vizzini.
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
Christopher Guest Made A Huge Mistake
In the scene after Westley and Buttercup leave the fire swamp, Count Rugen knocks Westley out to take him to the Pit of Despair. In real life, Christopher Guest, who plays Count Rugen, went too far. He genuinely knocked Cary Elwes out by accidentally hitting him too hard for the sake of realism. This is the take that appears in the film.
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
Mandy Patinkin Earned An Even Stranger Injury
The circumstance for Patinkin’s injury was even more odd than the two Cary sustained. Patinkin got his own injury, one to his ribs, from laughing too hard during filming. You’ll never guess why.
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
One Of The Most Iconic Scenes Is Improvised
The aforementioned rib injury occurred during the scenes with Miracle Max, played by legendary comedian Billy Crystal. Though it started out scripted, by the end of filming, most of Max’s lines were improvised and utterly hilarious, and Patinkin's ribs couldn't handle it. But this wouldn’t be the only casualty of the hilarious scene.
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
Billy Crystal Made The Director Nauseated
In fact, Crystal's long-winded monologues as Miracle Max even had director Rob Reiner in stitches so intense, they made him nauseated. Reiner had to leave the set between takes to recover, and the hilarity still didn’t end there.
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
This Cast Member Had To Be Removed From Set
Cary Elwes, playing “mostly dead” Westley on the table with Miracle Max, actually had to be removed from set and replaced with a foam dummy because he wouldn't stop betraying himself by laughing at Billy Crystal. In fact, he and Reiner were banished from the soundstage together.
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
Billy Crystal And Carol Kane Put In The Work
It wasn't all Billy Crystal in these scenes; Carol Kane played his long-suffering wife Valerie. Before they shot their scenes for the film, Crystal and Kane traveled together through England to figure out the dynamic between their characters. The pair even created their backstory.
This allowed their show-stopping improvising to take new heights.
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
Andre Needed Support
Sadly, Andre the Giant's back was in terrible pain during filming and he couldn’t lift anything. To compensate for this, production used clever film strategies and wires to carry the weight of anyone Fezzik picked up.
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
They Filmed This Scene Six Times In One Day
Neither Robin Wright nor Cary Elwes wanted the filming to end. The last scene filmed was Westley and Buttercup’s kissing scene, and they kept asking for more takes to draw out the filming. Though, maybe there was a little more to it than that.
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
There Was An Alternate Ending
In an alternate ending, all the characters would appear outside the Grandson’s (played by Fred Savage) bedroom after his grandfather leaves. They would call him to join in on their next adventure. Talk about an alternate universe!
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
Count Rugen’s Death Could Have Been Much More Gruesome
The description of Count Rugen's death in the book is far more intense and bloody than the one we see in the film. Inigo’s ultimate act of revenge in the book involved the removal of Rugen’s heart after their duel came to an end, but this wouldn’t have suited the family-friendly film.
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
Mark Knopfler Had One Condition For Composing The Soundtrack
Dire Straits founding member Mark Knopfler composed the soundtrack for the film, but he had one request. He said he would do it only if there was a reference to director Rob Reiner’s earlier film, This Is Spinal Tap (1984). While not an original, a replica of the USS Coral Sea baseball cap appears in the grandson’s room.
Sebastien.gross, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
This Major Mobster Loved It
John Gotti and his crew loved The Princess Bride. He even went so far as to call out Reiner at a restaurant to quote the film and call out his love for it. Talk about a nerve-racking compliment.
FBI New York, Wikimedia Commons
Even A Major Religious Figure Loved The Film
Another unexpected person to love the film was Pope John Paul II. He professed his affection for the film to Cary Elwes when the two met in 1988. Elwes called the moment, “Inconceivable”.
Rob Oo, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
All The Actors Loved Working On The Film
Everyone who worked on the film felt the love and care they were putting into its creation. Especially the actors, who spent so much time together working through scenes filled with laughter and respect for one another.
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
He Also Held The Film In A Special Place In His Heart
The film and its legacy meant so much to Andre that he would watch the film over and over and over. Sometimes he made his wrestling friends watch it with him, even making sure there were drinks and snacks to enjoy alongside it.
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
The Marketing For The Film Was Strange
The marketing campaign puzzled Cary Elwes when he first saw it. The posters focused on the grandfather and the grandson, with little reference to the rest of the cast and story. This mistake would cost them.
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
The Film Wasn’t Very Successful Initially
The film premiered in Toronto as part of the 1987 Toronto International Film Festival. It grossed around $30 million dollars, which wasn’t great considering it took $16 million to make. But then a plot twist happened.
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
This Unintentional Marketing Saved It
Despite this rough start,The Princess Bride found a sizable audience regardless. Reviewers loved it, but it was the way the audience spread the message about the film that made a difference. It's just another unconventional aspect of this film.
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
The Princess Bride Gained Significant Acclaim
The Library of Congress selected the film for preservation at the United States National Film Registry. The qualifications were “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant”. This way, the film will live on in a more concrete way than just the hearts of many.
Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride (1987)
Andre The Giant Loved This Part Of Filming
One day on set, Andre the Giant was asked why he liked filming The Princess Bride. His answer was heartbreaking: “Nobody looks at me”. After years of being looked at as this huge man in the wrestling ring, Andre was happy to be another person on set, regardless of how he looked.
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