Morgan Freeman is a generous, thoughtful, and engaging individual, who tends to surround himself with people of excellence. The actor is a highly respected figure not only in the movie industry but in various spheres of life, where people think highly of him. Freeman first appeared as various characters in the show The Electric Company, gradually he captivated people with his commanding voice, charismatic personality, and wisdom.
Throughout the years, Morgan Freeman has done several iconic films which have become the perfect classic films to binge-watch in 2023. One such film is The Shawshank Redemption, one of the most renowned films of this generation, where he played the role of Red in the 1994 movie directed by Frank Darabont. While the movie is loved by every movie connoisseur, the Bruce Almighty actor shared that the title of the film would tarnish its overall quality.
Morgan Freeman Suggested To Change The Title of The Shawshank Redemption
The Shawshank Redemption is one of the most popular films, featuring a star-studded cast, which told the story of a banker named Andy Dufresne (played by Tim Robbins) who is wrongly accused of murder and is punished with life imprisonment. In the prison, Dufresne met Red (played by Morgan Freeman), a prisoner who becomes friends with the falsely accused banker and taught him the way of the prison.
The film showcases strong and meaningful themes such as hope, friendship, redemption, and the power to face obstacles if you have enough determination to maintain your dignity. However, when the Seven actor was present on NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers, he shared how he found the script to be engaging, and that he will love to be a part of it.
“When you read the script, its so well done, such a good script that I said to my agent, ‘Okay, I’ll do anything to be here. What did they want me to do? He said they want you to be Red.’ Yeah, that’s the movie. Right, so yeah I’ll do it.”
However, Freeman shared his opinion on the title of the film and called it “terrible” and gave a detailed explanation of why he did not like it and how he asked the director to change it.
“The original title was Stephen King’s book, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption. Now, don’t choose Shawshank Redemption when you’ve got Rita Hayworth! But they said when I complained – and I did – that it won’t fit on the marquee. So what? Just put Rita Hayworth… You’ve got the one-sheet there, it’ll say the rest of it! But they chose not to, and so it took a while to catch on.”
While the film is now considered a great film, it was initially thought of as a poor and uninteresting film despite having seven Academy Award nominations, and a powerful performance by its cast. However, the film has gained immense recognition from its viewers, as well as critics praised the film for its powerful messages and themes.
The Shawshank Redemption Redeemed Itself Upon Its Re-Release
When The Shawshank Redemption was released in 1994, it merely earned $28.4 million worldwide at the box office, which had a budget of $25 million. During the initial release, the film was considered to be a disaster, and people preferred to skip watching the movie in theatres.
However, the film was nominated for several Academy Award nominations in early 1995, and it was re-released in February and March of the same year, earning $73.3 million worldwide at the Box office, managing to redeem itself and becoming the best cult classic in the process.
The Shawshank Redemption can be rented on AppleTV.
Source: Late Night with Seth Meyers
