Editing The Princess Bride (film) (section)

==Production==
===Development===
Rob Reiner, who had been enamored of Goldman's book ever since he was given it as a gift from [[Carl Reiner|his father]], realized he wanted to make the film adaptation after successfully demonstrating his filmmaking skill with the release of ''[[This Is Spinal Tap]]'' in 1984.<ref name="variety 30th">{{Cite web |last=King |first=Susan |date=September 24, 2017 |title='The Princess Bride' Turns 30: Rob Reiner, Robin Wright, Billy Crystal Dish About Making the Cult Classic |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/features/the-princess-bride-turns-30-1202565060/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171230114650/http://variety.com/2017/film/features/the-princess-bride-turns-30-1202565060/ |archive-date=December 30, 2017 |access-date=December 29, 2017 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> During production of ''[[Stand by Me (film)|Stand by Me]]'', released in 1986, Reiner had spoken to an executive at [[Paramount Pictures]] regarding what his next film would be, and suggested the adaptation of ''The Princess Bride''. He was told they could not, leading Reiner to discover that several studios had previously attempted to bring Goldman's book to the big screen without success.<ref name="variety 30th" />

Those previous attempts included [[20th Century Fox]], which paid Goldman $500,000 for the film rights and to do a screenplay in 1973.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Weiler |first=A. H. |date=September 30, 1973 |title=News of the Screen |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/09/30/archives/news-of-the-screen-brolin-writes-new-prescription-westfall-ready.html |url-status=live |access-date=April 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202153018/http://www.nytimes.com/1973/09/30/archives/news-of-the-screen-brolin-writes-new-prescription-westfall-ready.html |archive-date=December 2, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Haber |first=Joyce |date=September 19, 1973 |title=Schlesinger to Direct West Work |page=d12 |work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> [[Richard Lester]] was signed to direct and the movie was almost made, but the head of production at Fox was fired and the project was put on hiatus. Goldman subsequently bought back the film rights to the novel with his own money.<ref>Goldman, 2000 pp. 25–26</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Cleese|first= John|title=Professor at Large : the Cornell Years|publisher=Cornell University Press|year= 2018|chapter=Screenwriting Seminar: John Cleese and Bill Goldman October 14, 2000}}</ref>

Other directors had also attempted to adapt the book, including [[François Truffaut]], [[Robert Redford]] and [[Norman Jewison]],<ref name="variety 30th" /> and at one point, [[Christopher Reeve]] was interested in playing Westley in one planned adaptation.<ref>William Goldman, ''The Big Picture?: Who Killed Hollywood and Other Essays'', Applause, 2000 p 189</ref> Reiner found success by gaining financial support from [[Norman Lear]], whom Reiner knew from ''[[All in the Family]]'' and who had funded production of ''This Is Spinal Tap'', with the production to be distributed by 20th Century Fox.<ref name="variety 30th" /><ref>Goldman, 2000 p. 27</ref> Reiner worked closely with Goldman to adapt the book for the screenplay.<ref name="variety 30th" />

===Casting===
Reiner had quickly decided on Cary Elwes for Westley, based on his performance in ''[[Lady Jane (1986 film)|Lady Jane]]''; however, during the casting period in Los Angeles, Elwes was in West Germany on set for ''[[Maschenka (1987 film)|Maschenka]]''. Reiner flew out to [[West Berlin]] to meet with Elwes, confirming his appropriateness for the role. While Reiner and casting director [[Jane Jenkins]] auditioned other actors for Westley, they knew Elwes was perfect for the part.<ref name="vice casting">{{Cite web |last=Vineyard |first=Jennifer |date=September 29, 2017 |title=What It Was Like Finding the Legendary Cast of 'The Princess Bride' |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/what-it-was-like-finding-the-legendary-cast-of-the-princess-bride/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180204075910/https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/xwg5xq/what-it-was-like-finding-the-legendary-cast-of-the-princess-bride |archive-date=February 4, 2018 |access-date=December 29, 2017 |website=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]}}</ref> Elwes had read the book in his childhood and associated himself with the character of Westley, but never believed he would have the opportunity to play him.<ref name="abc elwes 30th">{{Cite web |last=Messer |first=Leslie |date=September 25, 2017 |title='The Princess Bride' turns 30: Cary Elwes shares stories from the set |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/princess-bride-turns-30-cary-elwes-shares-stories/story?id=49990697 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171230114733/https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/princess-bride-turns-30-cary-elwes-shares-stories/story?id=49990697 |archive-date=December 30, 2017 |access-date=December 29, 2017 |website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]}}</ref>

Robin Wright was cast late in the process, about a week before filming.<ref name="abc elwes 30th" /> [[Uma Thurman]], [[Meg Ryan]], [[Sean Young]], [[Suzy Amis]], [[Courteney Cox]], [[Alexandra Paul]] and [[Whoopi Goldberg]] all auditioned for the role.<ref name="Lyttelton-2012">{{Cite web |last=Lyttelton |first=Oliver |date=September 25, 2012 |title=5 Things You Might Not Know About 'The Princess Bride' on its 25th Anniversary |url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/5-things-you-might-not-know-about-the-princess-bride-on-its-25th-anniversary-105642/ |access-date=October 21, 2021 |website=[[IndieWire]] |archive-date=August 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807091322/https://www.indiewire.com/2012/09/5-things-you-might-not-know-about-the-princess-bride-on-its-25th-anniversary-105642/amp/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Wright's agent had heard of the casting call and encouraged Wright to audition. Though initially shy, Wright impressed Jenkins, and later Reiner. They invited Wright to come meet Goldman at his house. Jenkins recalls: "The doorbell rang. Rob went to the door, and literally, as he opened the door, [Wright] was standing there in this little white summer dress, with her long blonde hair, and she had a halo from the sun. She was backlit by God. And Bill Goldman looked across the room at her, and he said, 'Well, that's what I wrote.' It was the most perfect thing."<ref name="vice casting" />

Mandy Patinkin and Wallace Shawn were early choices for the cast; Shawn in particular was chosen as Vizzini due to his diminutive size to contrast that of the giant Fezzik.<ref name="vice casting" /> [[Danny DeVito]] was considered for the role of Vizzini.<ref name="Lyttelton-2012" />

When Goldman originally shopped his novel in the early 1970s, his first choice for Fezzik was [[André the Giant]], whose wrestling schedule left him unavailable for filming. Goldman's second choice was [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]], who at that time was almost unknown as an actor. However, by the time ''The Princess Bride'' was finally green-lit, Schwarzenegger was a major film star and the studio could not afford him. Jenkins contacted the [[WWE|World Wrestling Federation]] to ask about hiring André, but were told that the filming conflicted with a wrestling match in Tokyo that would pay him $5&nbsp;million. Jenkins auditioned other tall men, including [[Kareem Abdul-Jabbar]], [[Lou Ferrigno]] and [[Carel Struycken]], but these did not pan out. André was hesitant to take the part on the account of the fact that the film's dialogue was in English while he was French and because he was a professional wrestler, not an actor.{{sfn|Elwes|Layden|2014|p=50}} Furthermore, André was suffering much pain resulting from his acromegaly, which was to eventually lead to his early death.{{sfn|Elwes|Layden|2014|p=118}} [[Liam Neeson]] also auditioned for the role, but he was turned down due to height.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Russian |first=Ale |date=October 12, 2020 |title=Liam Neeson Says He Met for Princess Bride's Andre the Giant Role But Was Told He Was Too Short |url=https://people.com/movies/liam-neeson-says-he-was-not-tall-enough-for-princess-bride/ |access-date=October 21, 2021 |website=[[People (magazine)|PEOPLE.com]] |archive-date=October 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020032523/https://people.com/movies/liam-neeson-says-he-was-not-tall-enough-for-princess-bride/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Near the end of casting, the World Wrestling Federation told Jenkins that André's match in Tokyo had been cancelled, clearing him to play the role of Fezzik.<ref name="vice casting" /> For his part, André found his participation was a gratifying experience considering that no one stared at him on set during production as a kind of freak, but instead simply treated him as a fellow member of the cast.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 22, 2017 |title=12 Inconceivable Facts That Prove That 'The Princess Bride' Isn't Just Another 'Kissing Book' |url=https://www.throwbacks.com/12-inconceivable-facts-that-prove-that-the-princess-bride-isnt-just-another-kissing-book/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920114025/https://www.throwbacks.com/12-inconceivable-facts-that-prove-that-the-princess-bride-isnt-just-another-kissing-book/ |archive-date=September 20, 2020 |access-date=August 22, 2020 |website=Throwbacks}}</ref>

===Filming===
[[File:Cliffs of Moher, looking north.jpg|thumb|The [[establishing shot]] of the Cliffs of Insanity is the [[Cliffs of Moher]] in County Clare, Ireland.]]
The film was shot in various locations in England and Ireland in late 1986:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kent Film Office The Princess Bride Film Focus |date=March 18, 1987 |url=http://kentfilmoffice.co.uk/1987/03/the-princess-bride-1987/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140318134215/http://kentfilmoffice.co.uk/1987/03/the-princess-bride-1987/ |archive-date=March 18, 2014 |access-date=March 18, 2014}}</ref>
* [[Carl Wark]], Sheffield, England
* [[Burnham Beeches]], Buckinghamshire, England
* [[River Lathkill|Lathkill Dale]] where it meets [[Cales Dale]] (the "Battle of wits" scene)
* [[Cave Dale]], [[Castleton, Derbyshire]], England
* Bradley Rocks and [[Robin Hood's Stride]], Birchover, Derbyshire, England
* [[Cliffs of Moher]], County Clare, Ireland (for the Cliffs of Insanity)
* [[Haddon Hall]], [[Bakewell]], Derbyshire, England
* [[Penshurst Place]], Kent, England

The framing story scenes, the last to be filmed, were shot at [[Shepperton Studios]] in Surrey.<ref name="variety 30th" />

Reiner rented a house in England near these sites and frequently invited the cast over for meals and light-hearted get-togethers. Many cast members believed this helped to create a sense of "family" that helped to improve their performances for the film.<ref name="variety 30th" /><ref name="ew 30th">{{Cite magazine |last=Coggan |first=Devan |date=October 3, 2017 |title=Cary Elwes talks sword fights, André the Giant, and The Princess Bride |url=https://ew.com/movies/2017/10/03/princess-bride-cary-elwes-30th-anniversary/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171230114715/http://ew.com/movies/2017/10/03/princess-bride-cary-elwes-30th-anniversary/ |archive-date=December 30, 2017 |access-date=December 29, 2017 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref>

Cary Elwes and Mandy Patinkin learned to [[Fencing|fence]] (both left- and right-handed) for the film, and they performed the combat scenes themselves, with the exception of two somersaults performed by stunt doubles.<ref>Reiner, Rob. ''The Princess Bride''. DVD audio commentary. Directed by Rob Reiner. 1987; Santa Monica, California: MGM Home Entertainment, 2001. ''(see Ch. 06, time 17:45)''</ref> They were trained by fencing instructors [[Bob Anderson (fencer)|Bob Anderson]] and stunt arranger [[Peter Diamond (actor)|Peter Diamond]], both of whom had also worked on training the actors in the original ''[[Star Wars]]'' trilogy. Elwes and Patinkin spent about three weeks prior to filming learning to fence, and they spent most of their off-camera free time practicing.<ref name="variety 30th" /><ref name="ew 30th" /> Anderson encouraged the two to learn the other's choreography for the fight to help them anticipate the movements and avoid an accident.<ref name="variety 30th" /> They also watched many sword fights from previous films to see how they could improve on those.<ref name="variety 30th" />

André the Giant had undergone major back surgery prior to filming and, despite his great size and strength, could not support the weight of Elwes during their fight scene or Wright for a scene at the end of the film. For the wrestling scene, when Elwes hangs on André's back, he was actually walking on a series of ramps below the camera during close-ups. For the wide shots, a stunt double took the place of André.<ref>Reiner, Rob. ''The Princess Bride''. DVD audio commentary. Directed by Rob Reiner. 1987; Santa Monica, California: MGM Home Entertainment, 2001. ''(see Ch. 08, time 25:40)''</ref> When he was apparently carrying Wright, she was actually suspended by cables.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 10, 2010 |title=Wright: 'Giant Was In So Much Pain On The Princess Bride Set' |url=http://www.contactmusic.com/robin-wright/news/wright-giant-was-in-so-much-pain-on-the-princess-bride-set_1134854 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160221030137/http://www.contactmusic.com/robin-wright/news/wright-giant-was-in-so-much-pain-on-the-princess-bride-set_1134854 |archive-date=February 21, 2016 |access-date=October 20, 2015 |website=[[Contactmusic.com]]}}</ref>

Billy Crystal and Carol Kane spent time before traveling to England to work out the backstory between Miracle Max and his wife and develop a rapport for their characters. Once on set, Reiner allowed them to improvise some of their lines.<ref name="variety 30th" />

===Soundtrack===
{{main|The Princess Bride (soundtrack)}}
The original soundtrack album was composed by [[Mark Knopfler]] of [[Dire Straits]]. It was released by [[Warner Bros. Records]] in the United States and [[Vertigo Records]] internationally in November 1987. The album contains the song "Storybook Love", performed by [[Willy DeVille]] and produced by Mark Knopfler. It was nominated for an [[Academy Award for Best Original Song]] at the [[60th Academy Awards]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Princess Bride |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-princess-bride-original-soundtrack-r84523 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111102074244/http://allmusic.com/album/the-princess-bride-original-soundtrack-r84523 |archive-date=November 2, 2011 |access-date=November 23, 2011 |website=Allmusic}}</ref>

In his audio commentary of the film on the special edition DVD, director [[Rob Reiner]] said that only Knopfler could create a soundtrack to capture the film's quirky yet romantic nature. Reiner was an admirer of Knopfler's work but did not know him before working on the film. He sent the script to him hoping he would agree to score the film. Knopfler agreed on one condition: that somewhere in the film Reiner would include the {{USS|Coral Sea|CV-43}} baseball cap (which had been modified to say "USS Ooral Sea OV-4B") he wore as Marty DiBergi in ''[[This Is Spinal Tap]]''. Reiner was unable to produce the original cap, but did include a similar cap in the grandson's room. Knopfler later said he was joking.