The Princess Bride is a beloved film, released in 1987, that contributed a long list of quotable lines into the lexicon. Directed by Rob Reiner and written by William Goldman, who adapted it from his own novel, it’s one of the most appreciated films of the 1980s.
The film never got a sequel, reboot, or remake, but earlier this month there was a weird boomlet about re-doing the film. And it doesn’t appear that anyone involved with the film – or who loves it – has any interest in doing so.
It all started with a tweet from Variety‘s official account on September 17. It stated that Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Tony Vinciquerra had claimed that “very famous people whose names I won’t use” are interested in a “redo” of The Princess Bride.
Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Tony Vinciquerra says that “very famous people whose names I won’t use” want to redo Norman Lear’s ‘The Princess Bride’ https://t.co/xGHdIxW2bf pic.twitter.com/uvHjWzpj9t
— Variety (@Variety) September 17, 2019
The tweet also described the film as “Norman Lear’s Princess Bride,” which is somewhat odd considering that Lear, the legendary sitcom producer, did not write or direct the film and has never been as closely associated with it creatively as Reiner or Goldman. Lear is credited as a producer, as Reiner – who starred on Lear’s classic TV series All in the Family – had convinced him to invest money in the movie, as well as some of his other films in the ’80s.
The Variety tweet led to a story about Lear’s continued relevance, as the 97-year-old legend is still involved with One Day at a Time and other TV series. The Princess Bride reference comes near the end, as Vinciquerra is merely pointing out that there is interest in Hollywood in that project and other re-dos of past Lear projects.
There’s no indication that an actual Princess Bride remake or reboot is in active development. And following the reaction, I wouldn’t expect it to take off now.
NBC News quoted several people associated with the movie as shooting down the idea. Leading man Cary Elwes led the charge:
There’s a shortage of perfect movies in this world. It would be a pity to damage this one. https://t.co/5N8Q3P2e5G
— Cary Elwes (@Cary_Elwes) September 18, 2019
William Goldman passed away last November, and Reiner, who mostly tweets about politics these days, has not weighed in. Most of the main cast – Elwes, Robin Wright, Billy Crystal, Wallace Shawn, Mandy Patinkin, Christopher Guest – is still alive, although Andre the Giant, who played Fezzik, died in 1993.
So once again, The Princess Bride remake is probably not happening, and if the “very famous people” interested in putting one together were interested then, there’s a good chance they won’t be anymore, after that backlash.
