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AS YOU WISH
Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride
by
CARY ELWES
with
Joe Layden and
A Foreword by Rob Reiner
“The movie The Princess Bride achieved a certain cinematic magic, which Elwes captures in his warm and revealing behind-the-scenes account.” —Publisher’s Weekly
Touchstone is pleased to present AS YOU WISH: Inconceivable Tales From the Making of The Princess Bride (October 14, 2014; Hardcover), by the movie’s leading man himself—Cary Elwes with Joe Layden, a Foreword by Rob Reiner and Epilogue by Norman Lear and an original poster from acclaimed artist Shepard Fairey. Featuring never-before-told stories from Cary and his extraordinary co-stars, AS YOU WISH is the ultimate account of the film that has captured the hearts of viewers for generations.
The Princess Bride, based on William Goldman’s remarkable novel, has stood the test of time as both a family favorite and cult classic for nearly three decades. Only a modest hit in theaters in 1987, the movie gained popularity on VHS, and is now ranked by the American Film Institute as one of the top 100 Greatest Love Stories, and by the Writers Guild of America as one of the top 100 screenplays of all time. The film’s timeless love story and brilliantly funny screenplay have endured, proving to be just as relevant and charming for fans today as they were at its premiere.
Now for the first time ever, Cary Elwes—the man behind the film’s dashing hero, Westley—gives fans a look inside the making of The Princess Bride. Only 23-years-old during filming, this book is Cary’s first-hand account of the making of the film that kick-started his career, and the many influential people he met along the way. The book is also chock-full of interviews with Cary’s legendary co-stars—including Robin Wright, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal, Fred Savage, Christopher Guest, Carol Kane, Christopher Sarandon and Mandy
Patinkin—as well as an epilogue from producer Norman Lear, and a foreword by director Rob Reiner, all of whom, along with writer William Goldman, share incredible stories behind how the movie was made and what effect it had on their lives. From his casting in the midst of possible radioactive fallout to never before revealed anecdotes about the lovable André the Giant; these and many more wonderful behind-the-scenes stories are bound to wow any fan. Readers will also get to enjoy exclusive photographs from Reiner and Norman Lear’s personal collections, plus plenty of set secrets and hilarious backstage tales that will leave you running to press play all over again including:
- How Cary suffered a broken toe while playing around with an all-terrain vehicle.
- Why Rob and Cary had to leave the set during Billy Crystal’s scenes portraying “Miracle Max”
- How Wallace Shawn, who played the conniving Sicilian Vizzini, was nearly crippled by anxiety because he believed another actor was the producers’ first choice for the role.
- Why Robin Wright was the last person to be cast in the film.
- How Andre the Giant supplied the set with crates of food he brought back from France after paying a visit to his family.
- How Mandy Patinkin and Cary trained for 2 months to prepare for The Greatest Sword Fight in Modern Times.
- Details of an alternate ending to the movie with Buttercup, Westley, Inigo and Fezzik.
- Details of how President Clinton became a fan of the movie.
AS YOU WISH is an enchanting treasury that is sure to delight all fans of The Princess Bride, and I hope you will feature Cary Elwes’ exciting account of the movie in your October 2014 social media campaigns.
About the Author:
Cary Elwes is a celebrated English actor who starred as “Westley” in The Princess Bride before moving on to roles in Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Glory, Days of Thunder, Twister, and Saw, among many other acclaimed performances. He will always be indebted to The Princess Bride, for changing his life and giving him a career that has spanned decades. He lives in Hollywood, California, with his family. Find out more about Cary Elwes at twitter.com/cary_elwes.
Joe Layden has authored or co-authored more than thirty books, including multiple New York Times bestsellers. Layden has mostly worked with Medal of Honor recipient Sal Giunta on Living with Honor, Dave Mustaine on Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir, and Ace Frehley on No Regrets, all of which were New York Times bestsellers.
For more information on AS YOU WISH, please visit:www.simonandschuster.com.
