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Home Movie: The Princess Bride

Home Movie: The Princess Bride is an American comedy television miniseries directed by Jason Reitman, a "fan made" recreation of the 1987 film The Princess Bride. Produced while the participating actors were isolating themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, it is filmed in a deliberately DIY fashion, with an ensemble cast recording their scenes on their own smartphones, and multiple actors playing the most prominent roles. It features the final screen performance of Carl Reiner, the father of the original film's director Rob Reiner. It premiered in short installments in June and July 2020, on Quibi.

Home Movie:
The Princess Bride

Various actors

English

10

  • Jason Blumenfeld
  • Erica Mills

Nathan Orloff

June 29 (2020-06-29) –
July 8, 2020 (2020-07-08)

The Grandson: , Mckenna Grace, Keith L. Williams, Logan Kim, Joey King, Rob Reiner, and Fred Savage (who played the Grandson in the 1987 movie).

Josh Gad

The Grandfather: Rob Reiner, , Giancarlo Esposito, Sarah Silverman, Roman Mars, Robert Wuhl, Adam Sandler, and Carl Reiner.

J. K. Simmons

The Mother:

Retta

Buttercup: , Penélope Cruz, Jennifer Garner, Leslie Bibb, David Burtka, Annabelle Wallis, Zoe Saldana, Joe Jonas, Mackenzie Davis, Kimberly Brook, Zazie Beetz, Alice Oswalt, Jon Hamm's dog, Brandon Routh, Courtney Ford, Zoey Deutch, Jenna Ortega, Beanie Feldstein and Robin Wright (in reused footage from the 1987 film).

Tiffany Haddish

Prince Humperdinck: , Thomas Lennon, Penélope Cruz, Elijah Wood, José Andrés, Don Johnson, Ernie Hudson, Dennis Haysbert, James Van Der Beek, David Oyelowo, and Cary Elwes (who played Westley in the 1987 film).

Hugh Jackman

Vizzini: , Angela Kinsey, Nick Kroll, Rainn Wilson, and King Bach.

Patton Oswalt

Count Rugen: , Oliver Lennon, Stephen Merchant, B. J. Novak, Bryan Cranston, and Andy Serkis.

Meredith Salenger

Miracle Max:

Seth Rogen

Valerie:

Ari Graynor

The Impressive Clergyman:

John Malkovich

The Albino:

Nicholas Braun

The Ancient Booer: [1]

Jennifer Garner

Yellin the Messenger:

Richard Speight Jr.

R.O.U.S.: Leo James Routh, Sophie Turner's dog

Production[edit]

Reitman came up with the idea in March 2020, early in the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine, of remaking the 1987 film The Princess Bride with actors performing in their own homes. He saw it as a way to raise money for World Central Kitchen to support restaurants that were also struggling under the pandemic, allowing them to operate and provide meals to poor families.[1] Reitman talked to Jeffrey Katzenberg about it, who made a million-dollar donation to the charity, and arranged to stream the final product on the upcoming Quibi streaming service.[1] Reitman created a proof of concept scene with himself and his daughter recreating the initial scene with the grandfather and the boy that leads off the film, and used that to gain approval from Norman Lear, who owned the rights to the film, and the estate of William Goldman, which controlled the rights to the original story. Reitman was also able to get the rights to the film's score from Mark Knopfler.[1]


The series was filmed by the actors at their homes during quarantine.[1] Actors provided their own props and costumes, and swapped roles between scenes. Each actor filmed their own side of a scene in isolation, due to social distancing guidelines, with the exception of roommates such as Nicholas Braun and Christopher Mintz-Plasse as well as cohabitating couples such as Chris Pine and Annabelle Wallis, Common and Tiffany Haddish, Sam Rockwell and Leslie Bibb, Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka, Brandon Routh and Courtney Ford, and Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas, who filmed their scenes together. Special effects were created in a humorously homemade manner; sets were recreated in miniature form with LEGO and an R.O.U.S. ("rodent of unusual size") is represented by Sophie Turner's corgi.[1] Reitman provided minimal direction to the actors outside of answering a few questions.[1]


Fred Savage plays the grandson in the opening scene, making him the only actor from the original film to reprise his original role. Cary Elwes, who starred as Westley in the original film, appears in the final confrontation between Westley and Humperdinck, but instead plays Humperdinck (opposite Paul Rudd). Rob Reiner, director of the original film, appears in the production in two roles. He is one of the actors playing the grandfather in the opening bookend scene, reading the film's fairy-tale story to his grandson (played in this segment by Josh Gad). He also appears in the closing bookend scene as the grandson, with his father Carl Reiner now playing the loving grandfather and speaking the film's catchphrase "as you wish" (which means "I love you"). Carl Reiner died three days after recording his scene, and the work as a whole is dedicated to him.[2]


Mark Knopfler's score is performed by Ethan Gruska, Blake Mills, Bad Suns, Mateo Messina, Phoebe Bridgers, Bahamas, Sylvan Esso, Alex Ebert, Beulahbelle, and Perfume Genius.

Release[edit]

The series was announced on June 26, 2020.[3][4] The film was released in short segments – the Quibi service's usual format – with the first installment appearing on June 29.

at IMDb

Home Movie: The Princess Bride