“Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father; prepare to die!” – You have likely heard this legendary quote (or some variation of it) numerous times, even if you may not be quite sure where it comes from. Well, it’s source is American filmmaker Rob Reiner’s 1987 fantasy comedy film ‘The Princess Bride’, which is today considered to be an all time cinema classic.
Based on a screenplay by William Goldman adapted from his 1973 novel of the same name, ‘The Princess Bride’ was a whopping critical success, earning rave reviews and widespread acclaim. Commercial performance was also decent, despite never quite matching up to the film’s critical popularity. However, ‘The Princess Bride’ went on to become a cult classic in the years following its release, making the cut on several prestigious Top 100 and Top 50 lists and finally being inducted into the National Film Registry in 2016, being deemed as “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant”.
If you were wondering what are The Princess Bride filming locations, read on to find out everything we know.
Where was The Princess Bride Filmed?
The story line of ‘The Princess Bride’ takes place in the fictional kingdom of Florin, a country ruled by an elderly King and Queen based on a fictional version of the city of Florence in central Italy. Principal filming for the movie began in 1986 and took place primarily in three locations – Derbyshire in England, Buckinghamshire in England, and County Clare in Ireland. Limited filming for certain scenes also took place in Yorkshire and Kent in England.
Check out these pictures of the filming of ‘The Princess Bride’:
Happy birthday to Rob Reiner, seen here filming one of my childhood favorites, 'The Princess Bride' (1987): pic.twitter.com/97gCyDB7Le
— James Hancock (@colebrax) March 6, 2017
Derbyshire, England
Several important scenes and backdrops in ‘The Princess Bride’ were filmed in the county of Derbyshire, England. This includes Prince Humperdinck’s castle in Florin, which was actually filmed at Haddon Hall south of Bakewell, Derbyshire. Haddon Hall is a medieval manor house dating back to the eleventh century and currently serves as the home of Lord Edward Manners (brother of the current Duke) and his family.
Check out this picture of Haddon Hall:
The romance and history of Haddon Hall has enticed an array of film-makers over the years.
Seek out filming locations for scenes from Jane Eyre, The Princess Bride and many more on your next visit, or explore a full list of our filming features online: https://t.co/gkyTRCiNuT pic.twitter.com/cvgitAzvl7
— Haddon Hall (@THEhaddonhall) July 21, 2018
Buttercup’s farm is represented in the film by Bradley Rocks near Birchover in Derbyshire. The wild moorlands of Peak District National Park feature in the film as well during the scenes where Buttercup travels across the countryside. Cave Dale is the location where Westley is finally unmasked and revealed to be the new Dread Pirate Roberts.
Buckinghamshire, England
After Buttercup is kidnapped by Inigo Montoya and his gang, she is carried across the Black Park Lake on Black Park Road between Slough and Iver Heath in Buckinghamshire. This location has a long history of featuring in various films and TV shows including several popular James Bond films.
County Clare, Ireland
The filming location for the aptly named “Cliffs of insanity” in the movie is actually the gorgeous Cliffs of Moher at the southwestern edge of the Burren region in County Clare, Ireland. The location is a designated UNESCO Geo Park and has featured prominently in films such as ‘Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince’ and ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’.
Check out this picture of the famous Cliffs of Moher:
Pictured here, the Cliffs of Insanity, aka Cliffs of Moher, are to The Princess Bride what the Ponderous Rocks are to Ten Fingers Touching― pic.twitter.com/DA5TkqGmXw
— Ellen A. Roth (@EllenRothAuthor) July 7, 2017
Shepperton Studios, Surrey, England
‘The Princess Bride’ features a book style narrative style with framing scenes showing a grandfather narrating the tale to a little boy. These scenes were filmed at the Shepperton Studios in Surrey, England. Prominent movies that have filmed here include ‘Thor: The Dark World’, ‘Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw’, ‘1917’, and ‘Dolittle’.
Other Locations
Besides the aforementioned locations, ‘The Princess Bride’ was also filmed in a few other locations including Carl Wark in Yorkshire, England; Hever Castle in Hever, Kent, England, and Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England.
The Princess Bride Cast, Crew and Plot
The main cast of ‘The Princess Bride’ features ‘Robin Hood: Men in Tights’ actor Cary Elwes as Westley, ‘Forrest Gump’ actress Robin Wright as Buttercup, ‘Homeland’ star Mandy Patinkin as Inigo Montoya, ‘Dog Day Afternoon’ actor Chris Sarandon as Prince Humperdinck, ‘Young Sheldon’ actor Wallace Shawn as Vizzini, professional wrestler and actor André the Giant as Fezzik, and ‘When Harry Met Sally…’ actor Billy Crystal as Miracle Max.
The story line of ‘The Princess Bride’ is quintessential adventure fare, and tells the tale of love between the enchanting Buttercup and a farmhand named Westley. However, when Westley supposedly dies while on a fortune seeking adventure, a heartbroken Buttercup reluctantly accepts the marriage proposal of rich Prince Humperdinck, heir to the kingdom of Florin. Now, a decidedly not dead Westley must embark on an epic adventure along with a motley of companions he meets along the way in order to regain his true love and foil Humperdinck’s evil machinations.