Peacock Adds One of the Greatest Movies of All Time
NBC has recently added one of the most beloved movies ever made, The Shawshank Redemption, to its Peacock streaming service. This classic 1994 prison drama has long been praised for its powerful story and memorable performances, and now Peacock subscribers can watch it anytime.
The Shawshank Redemption is based on a novella by Stephen King called Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. The movie tells the story of Andy Dufresne, played by Tim Robbins, a banker who is sent to Shawshank State Penitentiary for the murder of his wife and her lover—crimes he insists he did not commit.
While in prison, Andy forms a close friendship with Ellis “Red” Redding, a contraband smuggler played by Morgan Freeman. Together, they navigate the harsh realities of prison life. The film also stars Bob Gunton as the corrupt prison warden, Samuel Norton, with strong supporting roles from William Sadler, Clancy Brown, Gil Bellows, and James Whitmore.
The film’s journey to the screen began when director Frank Darabont bought the rights to King’s story in 1987. However, it took several years before production started. Darabont wrote the script over eight weeks and soon got a $25 million budget from Castle Rock Entertainment. Even though the story is set in Maine, most of the filming took place in Mansfield, Ohio, where the Ohio State Reformatory stood in for the fictional Shawshank prison. Before casting Tim Robbins, the project considered big names like Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, and Kevin Costner.
The film’s music was composed by Thomas Newman, adding to its emotional depth.
When The Shawshank Redemption first hit theaters, it didn’t perform well at the box office, earning only $16 million. Critics praised the film and especially the performances of Robbins and Freeman, but it faced tough competition from hits like Pulp Fiction and Forrest Gump. Some also thought the film’s title was confusing, and prison dramas were not very popular at the time.
Despite this, the movie received seven Academy Award nominations and later enjoyed a successful re-release, which helped boost its total earnings to over $73 million worldwide.
The film’s popularity grew even more after it became a top video rental in 1995 and was frequently shown on TNT starting in 1997. Today, it is widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made and is loved by fans around the world. In 2015, the U.S. Library of Congress recognized its importance by preserving it in the National Film Registry, calling it “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
The Shawshank Redemption celebrates 25 years at the cinemas 9/22, 9/24 & 9/25. Check out the trailer here: https://t.co/qsmKPYLYxy pic.twitter.com/CGI2oZ6UoF
— Fathom Entertainment (@FathomEnt) September 8, 2019
If you don’t have Peacock yet, you can subscribe for $10.99 a month with ads, or pay $16.99 a month for an ad-free experience, giving you full access to The Shawshank Redemption and much more. This is great news for anyone who wants to experience or revisit this timeless classic.
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