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Princess Bride stars and fans hit back at suggestions to remake the cult classic 30 years later

Isobel Frodsham

Cary Elwes and Jamie Lee Curtis have criticised an idea to remake The Princess Bride more than 30 years after it first hit screens.

Elwes, who played Westley in film, described the suggestion as “damaging” while Lee Curtis, who is married to Elwes’ film co-star Lord Christopher Haden-Guest, said there was only “one The Princess Bride.”

Their comments come after Sony Pictures Entertainment’s chief executive Tony Vinciquerra said several “very famous people” had approached him about creating a remake to the fairytale comedy.

In an interview with Variety magazine, Vinciquerra said: “Very famous people whose names I won’t use, but they want to redo The Princess Bride … Not a month goes by when we don’t have an idea coming from some very big name wanting to do things with Norman.”

Hit film: Carey Elwes and Robin Wright (20th Century Fox)
Hit film: Carey Elwes and Robin Wright (20th Century Fox)

But Elwes, 56, said he disagreed with the idea, writing on Twitter: “There’s a shortage of perfect movies in this world. It would be a pity to damage this one.”

Lee Curtis, 60, echoed Elwes’ thoughts, posting on Twitter: “Oh really? Well, I married the six fingered man, obviously why we have stayed together for 35 years and there is only ONE The Princess Bride and it’s William Goldman and @robreiner’s."

Quoting the movie, she added: "Life is pain highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something!”

Hit back: Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest, who played Count Tyrone in the film (Getty Images)
Hit back: Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest, who played Count Tyrone in the film (Getty Images)

Carol Kane — who played Valerie, the wife of Billy Crystal’s character Miracle Max – also told Page Six she thought a remake would not work.

“I don’t think a movie remake [would work] because I think it’s perfect,” she said. “I would gather that Rob Reiner would say the same and everybody in it would say the same.”

Senator Ted Cruz also disagreed with the idea, writing on Twitter: "Noooo!!!! Sonny, The Princess Bride is the greatest thing, in the world—except for a nice MLT, mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich, where the mutton is nice and lean and the tomato is ripe. They’re so perky, I love that. Don't mess with perfection."

Fans were also furious with the rumours, with Rus McLaughlin writing on Twitter: "Do not touch The Princess Bride. Do not remake it. Do not enhance it. Do not remaster it. Keep you damn dirty hands off The Princess Bride."

Kim Horcher added: "I am not a hater who automatically rejects anything new, prequels, spinoffs, or whatever. But this movie, like Back to the Future, is perfect as is. They're untouchable. There will never be another grandpa, grandson, Inigo, Vizzini, or Fezzik. Do not do this."

The film, based on the 1973 novel of the same name by William Goldman, chronicles a quest undertaken by Westley (Elwes) to rescue Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright), who was kidnapped and forced to marry Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon).

While the film was not a major box-office success, it has since been regarded as “quotable”, with Elwes previously saying to Entertainment Weekly: “It was sort of around ’97 when the film came out on VHS, and that’s when folks started renting it and buying it and giving it as gifts to family and friends.

“I still meet folks who still have their copy. So thanks to the invention of the VCR, this film got a whole new life. And that’s when people started quoting the film to me in the street.”

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