Frank Darabont's 1994 film follows a prisoner named Red (Morgan Freeman) who is imprisoned at Shawshank State Penitentiary and befriends a new prisoner named Andy (Tim Robbins), who uses his skills from working as a banker to improve matters for himself and others at the prison. Andy also changes prisoners' lives for the better by improving the library and playing classical music over the loudspeaker.
The screenwriter and director for the movie, Darabont, directed the 1999 movie "The Green Mile," which, like "Shawshank," was based on a novel by Stephen King.
Tom Hanks and Kevin Costner were among the actors considered for the part of Andy Dufresne. Hanks turned it down because he was already committed to Forrest Gump (1994). And Costner liked the script but was filming Waterworld.
Tourists can still visit part of the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio, where the movie was shot.