ⓘ Details

Movie TitleThe Princess Bride

Release DateSeptember 25, 1987

TaglineScaling the cliffs of insanity. Battling rodents of unusual size. Facing torture in the Pit of Despair. True love has never been a snap.

Runtime101 minutes

DirectorRob Reiner

Screenplay Written ByWilliam Goldman

Based OnWilliam Goldman’s 1973 novel The Princess Bride

Is It a Remake?No. It is a film adaptation of Goldman’s novel.

BudgetApproximately $16 million

Box OfficeApprox. $30.9 million domestic

↑ Return to Top

👥 Main Cast

Cary ElwesWestley / The Man in Black

Robin WrightButtercup

Mandy PatinkinInigo Montoya

André the GiantFezzik

Wallace ShawnVizzini

Chris SarandonPrince Humperdinck

Christopher GuestCount Rugen

Peter FalkThe Grandfather

Fred SavageThe Grandson

Billy CrystalMiracle Max

Carol KaneValerie

Mel SmithThe Albino

↑ Return to Top

🏆 Awards

⭐ Academy Award Nominee — Best Original Song, “Storybook Love”

⭐ Saturn Award Winner — Best Fantasy Film

⭐ Saturn Award Winner — Best Costumes

⭐ Hugo Award Winner — Best Dramatic Presentation

⭐ Toronto International Film Festival Winner — People’s Choice Award

⭐ National Film Registry — Selected by the Library of Congress in 2016

↑ Return to Top

📖 Short Plot Summary

A grandfather reads a story to his sick grandson about Buttercup, a young woman separated from her true love Westley. When Buttercup is kidnapped by Vizzini, Inigo Montoya, and Fezzik, a mysterious man in black pursues them across the kingdom of Florin. What follows is a fairy-tale adventure full of romance, revenge, swordplay, monsters, miracles, and the belief that true love can survive almost anything.

↑ Return to Top

❝ Key Quotes

“As you wish.” — Westley

“Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” — Inigo Montoya

“Inconceivable!” — Vizzini

“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” — Inigo Montoya

“Have fun storming the castle!” — Miracle Max

↑ Return to Top

💡 Trivia

Director

The Princess Bride was directed and co-produced by Rob Reiner.
The screenplay was written by William Goldman, adapting his own novel.
The 3 Guys and a Flick ratings page lists the film as Episode 124 with Rob Reiner as director.

Cast / Casting

Cary Elwes plays Westley, the farm boy who becomes the Man in Black.
Robin Wright was cast as Buttercup shortly before filming began.
Mandy Patinkin plays Inigo Montoya, whose revenge quest became one of the film’s most iconic storylines.
André the Giant plays Fezzik after wrestling scheduling conflicts were resolved, allowing him to join the film.

Soundtrack / Score

The score was composed by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits.
“Storybook Love,” performed by Willy DeVille and produced by Knopfler, received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.
Knopfler’s score supports the film’s mix of romance, fairy tale, comedy, and swashbuckling adventure.

Location

The film was shot in locations in England and Ireland.
The Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, Ireland, were used for the Cliffs of Insanity.
Other filming locations included Derbyshire, Kent, Buckinghamshire, and Shepperton Studios.

Behind-The-Scenes

The framing scenes with the grandfather and grandson were filmed at Shepperton Studios.
The film premiered at the 1987 Toronto International Film Festival and won the People’s Choice Award.
The movie had modest theatrical box office but became a major cult favorite through home video and television.
The Library of Congress selected the film for the National Film Registry in 2016.

Nostalgia

The Princess Bride became one of the most quoted fantasy comedies of the 1980s.
Lines like “As you wish,” “Inconceivable,” and Inigo’s revenge speech remain part of pop culture decades later.
The film’s blend of fairy tale, romance, fencing, comedy, and storybook narration has helped it become a multi-generation favorite.

Easter Eggs

The story is framed as a book being read aloud, preserving the novel’s playful story-within-a-story structure.
The Dread Pirate Roberts identity works as both a pirate legend and a running commentary on mythmaking.
The “mostly dead” sequence turns classic resurrection fantasy into a full comedy routine with Miracle Max and Valerie.

Misc.

The Princess Bride was released in the United States on September 25, 1987.
The movie runs 101 minutes according to AFI Catalog.
The film grossed approximately $30.9 million domestically against an estimated $16 million budget.
Your 3 Guys and a Flick ratings page lists Don at 4.00, Ken at 4.50, Jon at 5.00, and the Overall Rating as 4.50.

↑ Return to Top