25 Things You Didn't Know About The Shawshank Redemption

Despite initial commercial failure, Frank Darabont's prison drama The Shawshank Redemption picked up a second life on home video and TV, where it eventually turned considerable profits for the studio, and a quarter of a century later, it reportedly remains one of the most prized assets in Warner Bros.' media library.

The film's stature as a pop-culture monolith cannot be overstated: between its iconic dialogue, wonderful performances and deeply humanistic depiction of hope prevailing over despair, it's an all-time classic for damn fine reason.

And as with any beloved movie, there are a heap of fascinating and little-known stories about how the movie was made, from its humble origins as a passion project for Darabont, to the script setting Hollywood alight and attracting a who's who of A-list talents.

Despite its relatively modest budget and production, Shawshank wasn't an easy shoot for anyone, with Darabont and his crew scarcely avoiding disaster several times, between a brutally demanding shooting schedule and a fire that damn-near destroyed one of the movie's major sets.

And yet, the end result feels so meticulously, perfectly polished that you'd never guess it was quite such a gruelling experience for all involved...