During quarantine, we’ve seen celebrities do a number of things to keep themselves relevant and in the news. And though much of it involves charitable actions, we’ve also seen filmmakers and creators also do short films and fun little projects from the comfort of their own homes. And it appears that the biggest, star-studded project to spawn from the COVID-19 pandemic is a new ‘Home Movie’ version of “The Princess Bride.”
Quibi is the new home of a project that takes some of the biggest names in Hollywood and allows them to recreate scenes from “The Princess Bride” from their own homes in the most low-budget way possible. Dubbed “Home Movie: The Princess Bride,” Quibi has brought together a bunch of actors to recreate one of the most beloved comedy films of all-time, while all stuck inside during a pandemic.
The whole plan is the brainchild of filmmaker Jason Reitman. Speaking to Vanity Fair, the filmmaker explained the motivation behind the new Quibi project, “The week that the stay-at-home order came through in California, I just woke up one of the first mornings, I think like most people did, feeling as though, All right, I need to be able to do something of value. I just thought, Can we remake an entire movie at home? And I had seen that a fan-made Star Wars had been done. I just started reaching out to actors I knew, saying, ‘Is this something you’d want to do?’ And the response was kind of immediate and fast. It was like, ‘Oh—that sounds like fun.’”
And apparently, Quibi founder Jeffrey Katzenberg loved the idea so much that he did whatever it took to make sure the fledgling streaming service could be the home for the new series. And instead of paying the actors and filmmakers a ton of money to bring it to the service, it cost Quibi a $1 million donation to World Central Kitchen (the equivalent of 100,000 meals for the charity).
Reitman was also able to land the director of the original version of the film, Rob Reiner, to have a role in the new series, as the grandfather reading the story to his young grandson (played by Josh Gad). And according to Reiner, he is perfectly happy to take part in this version of the film.
“I wouldn’t think this is the best way to introduce someone to the film,” Reiner said. “If you already know the movie, that’s what makes it fun. The audience already knows every line. I had no reservations. I was like, ‘Nah, let’s do it!’”
Joining Gad and Reiner in the new series are Common, Tiffany Haddish, Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Garner, Sam Rockwell, Chris Pine, Sophie Turner, and many more.
“Home Movie: The Princess Bride” debuts today on Quibi. You can view clips from the project below: