As ‘The Shawshank Redemption‘ celebrates its 30th anniversary, Tim Robbins, the film’s iconic lead, is reflecting on the factors that have kept it alive in the hearts of viewers — and it’s not the usual Hollywood formula. In a recent interview with The Guardian, Robbins credited media mogul Ted Turner for the film’s enduring popularity.
While this may come as a surprise to the fan of the actor as well as the film, Robbins noted that it was Turner’s repeated airings on Turner Classic Movies rather than its initial box office run that gave the film its lasting legacy. Here’s what he said.
Tim Robbins Credits Media Star Ted Turner For ‘The Shawshank Redemption’s Success
Even three decades after its release, ‘The Shawshank Redemption‘ is considered one of the most iconic films in the history of cinema. Actor Tim Robbins knows exactly what made it the commendable piece of cinema that it turned out to be. Speaking during a recent interview, the actor credited media star Ted Turner for the film’s success.
“When it came out, it got good reviews, it got nominated for Academy Awards, but nobody saw it,” Robbins said. “It was VHS and Ted Turner playing it on his television channel that changed that,” it added.
Even though it only earned a modest $73 million worldwide on a budget of $25 million, ‘Shawshank Redemption‘ has since become the most-loved movie of all time according to IMDb. It is this enduring success that Robbins says “proves a quality movie will last,” regardless of whether it hits it off immediately.
In this age of streaming and the many algorithms that dictate what content sees the light of day, Robbins expressed profound concern about the future of cinema. He said that films like ‘Shawshank Redemption‘ might not survive today because of all the content pushed by platforms such as Netflix.
“You go on Netflix now, and you see what’s coming out, and you tell me that is the future of cinema? We are in big trouble,” Robbins mournfully said, expressing his concern that quality storytelling could be drowned out by the sea of algorithm-approved productions.
Tim Robbins Praises Film Crew For Its Success
Tim Robbins, who currently stars in Apple TV+’s ‘Silo‘, also touched on the importance of fair treatment for film crews. While actors enjoy more flexibility and downtime between jobs, Robbins highlighted the grueling conditions that crew members often face.
“It is crews really that you’re talking about,” he said. “You have people on these crews that are overworked, exhausted, and don’t have the emotional input that one needs to live a rounded life,” he added.
In case you missed it: Is ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ Based On A True Story?
For Robbins, ‘The Shawshank Redemption‘ is so much more than a tribute to great filmmaking — it’s a reminder of all that can be accomplished when a film receives the time and space to find its audience, rather than the instant product churn-out, forget it, and make way for something else prevalent in today’s streaming industries.
