15 Facts You Didn’t Know About The Princess Bride

John Summers • Contributor

Jan 23, 2025 8:00 PM EST

Ask anyone who's seen The Princess Bride, and they'll tell you it's one of the greatest movies ever made. It's not just a film—it's a perfect blend of love, honor, friendship, and just a dash of magic, wrapped in humor and heart. So why don't we see more movies like it anymore?

Everyone loves a good story about princesses and giants, pirates and rodents of unusual size, heroic swordsmen and villainous six-fingered men. But The Princess Bride wasn't just any fairytale; it was unapologetically whimsical, brimming with charm, and completely sincere in a way that's hard to come by these days. It's not about remaking The Princess Bride—that would be inconceivable—but about bringing back that kind of storytelling. The kind that makes you believe in true love, laugh at clever dialogue, and cheer for the bonds of friendship.

These 15 facts about The Princess Bride will remind you why this cult classic is so beloved. From behind-the-scenes tidbits to surprising stories about the cast, this list will give you a fresh appreciation for the film you've likely already watched a dozen times. After all, it's only mostly known, which means there's still a lot to discover.

01
Why "The Princess Bride"?

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It all started when writer William Goldman once asked his two young daughters what he should write about next. One said a princess, the other said a bride.
02
A great movie

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After the book was published, Goldman always knew it would make for a great movie, but had never found the right people to work with. Rob Reiner was looking for a new project and started thinking about some of his favorite books.
03
It goes to 11

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When Reiner approached Goldman, Goldman wasn't sure. He'd never seen any of Rob's work - so Rob sent him This is Spinal Tap. According to Goldman, he spent the next few hours "crying with laughter" and they struck a deal.
04
pure personal charm

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When it came time for casting, Goldman had input there as well. Both agreed that Cary Elwes could be just the guy - he had the perfect handsome, dashing, Errol Flynn look and style - but could he be funny? COULD HE QUIP? When they finally met, Cary didn't know that's what they were after, but nailed it just on pure personal charm.
05
A villain called Cancer

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With the leading man secured, Reiner knew exactly who he wanted for the role of Inigo. This is a fairly famous story, but always worth telling. In 1972 Mandy Patinkin lost his father to cancer. He took the role of Inigo specifically for the character's journey. Every line he spoke about Count Rugen was spoken in his head to the villain called Cancer. The final scene where the two meet - Mandy, not just Inigo, is getting his revenge on what murdered his father.
06

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07
No substitute

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There was one piece of casting where both Reiner and Goldman were in ABSOLUTE agreement. A role for which there was only one human being on the planet who would do. There could be no substitute, no understudy, no living creature who could possibly play Fezzik but Andre the Giant. The two were in complete accord that they'd move heaven and earth to get Andre. They'd do whatever it took. Andre agreed immediately.
08
The fire swamp

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Filming took place in England. Most of the sets and locations were real, however they did add fake parapets to the castle, and the Fire Swamp was entirely done on a sound stage. William Goldman famously embarrassed himself on set when filming in the Fire Swamp. When Buttercup's dress caught fire, he was caught off guard and shouted "her dress is on fire!" ruining the shot.
09
Bad marketing

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No one at the studio had any idea how to market it. Was it a romance? Fantasy? Comedy? Action? Adventure? So they just... didn't. Rob Reiner was so furious with the (lack of) marketing, he once shouted to the executives "I don't want another Wizard of Oz!", which is also famous for having a poor initial reception before becoming a classic. It was only once the film hit VHS tape and word of mouth spread that it became so well known.
10
Inconceivable casting

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There was what could be considered a "close call" when it came to casting. For the part of Vizzini, they originally wanted Danny Devito, but he wasn't available. Once they got Wallace Shawn, even HE thought the part should have gone to Danny, and thought no one was happy with his performance. Obviously he was completely incorrect, and while his part is somewhat small compared to the others, even fellow cast members have referred to his portrayal of Vizzini as "inspired".
11
The Best Sword Fight In Cinema History

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The Bestest Sword Fight In Cinema History was choreographed by the great Bob Anderson, who is also known for his sword sequences in Star Wars and Lord of the Rings Speaking of which, that scene was completely legit (except for the flips). Neither Cary nor Mandy had any sword experience, but not only trained extensively for their battle - they spent hours pouring over classic film fight scenes and trying to work the most difficult and impressive moves into their fight. Oh - and that's BOTH right and left handed.
12
Inigo's father

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The book goes into much more detail about Domingo, Inigo's father who made the sword. It talks about how creating a sword for a six-fingered hand nearly drove him to madness, and how the end result was his masterpiece. This added to Inigo's shock and pain when Domingo was murdered.
13
What a legend

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Billy Crystal improvised so much on set that Rob Reiner had to leave the room for every take, because he kept ruining it with his own laughter. Mandy Patinkin had to fill in, and claims that his only injury on set was a bruised rib from holding in the laughter during those scenes.
14
The Zoo of Death

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In the book, the Pit of Despair is the Zoo of Death, and it's where Humperdinck keeps his most dangerous and deadly live trophies.
15

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16
Dire Straits connection

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The soundtrack was done by Mark Knopfler & The Dire Straits, who somehow managed to get nominated for a songwriting award with a song that includes the lines "Love is like a storybook story/ It's as real as the feelings I feel"