In the film, Brooks, the old man who works in the prison library, feeds a maggot to his pet crow. The American Humane Association had to step in because, apparently, it was cruel for a maggot to be fed to a crow.
After this unforeseen setback, the filmmakers found a maggot that had died of natural causes to feed to the crow, and all was well.
The Film Almost Had a Different Director
Before making the film, director Frank Darabont was offered $2.5 million by Rob Reiner for the film rights of Shawshank. Tempting though it may seem, he turned it down, because this was his “chance to do something really great.”
The movie would have been totally different if Reiner had been at the helm. For one, Reiner had his eyes set on Harrison Ford and Tom Cruise as the actors to play Red and Andy. In the end, we never got to see Maverick escape prison with Indiana Jones. We really dodged a bullet there.
Morgan Freeman Almost Didn't Play Red
Who else but Morgan Freeman could have portrayed Red? No one, right? Well, some people had different views. In King's version, the character is an Irish guy with red hair. It's not exactly how you would describe Freeman. The studio had considered many actors, like Clint Eastwood, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and Harrison Ford.
Still, in the end, Darabont chose Freeman. His natural charisma and soulful voice made him perfect for the part. As a tip of the hat to Stephen King, Darabont added the line, "Maybe it's because I'm Irish," when Andy asks Red about his nickname.
Number 237
Remember room 237 from 'The Shining'? What about the amount of change the boys have in 'Stand by Me'? Well, for those of us who are familiar with Stephen King’s body of work, you'll notice the number 237 is always present throughout his writings.
The Shawshank Redemption’s director, Frank Darabont, decided to include it in the movie. After Andy escapes, the guards yell, “Open 237!” before questioning Red about where Dufresne went.
Red's Story
In the movie, Red's past is a mystery. We only know that he "committed murder." But who did he murder? How? The film doesn't answer any of these questions, but King goes into more detail in his book.
It turns out that Red is serving three life sentences for murdering not only his wife, but also his neighbor's wife and son. Red cut the brakes of his wife's car to collect insurance money. He didn't predict that his neighbor's family would also end up dying in the car when it crashed. Ouch!