Horror History: Stephen King’s THE GREEN MILE Opened in 1999
Mike Sprague
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On this day in horror history, writer-director Frank Darabont’s adaptation of Stephen King’s The Green Mile with Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan opened in 1999.
Darabont adapted King’s novel into a screenplay in under eight weeks. Hanks stars as a death row officer who witnesses supernatural events after an enigmatic inmate convicted of brutally killing two little girls (Duncan) enters his facility.
Stephen King envisioned Hanks in the lead role while writing the original novel(s).
Meanwhile, Duncan credited his casting to Bruce Willis, whom he worked with on Armageddon. Supposedly, the filmmakers considered Shaquille O’Neal for the role.
RELATED: Rest in Peace, THE GREEN MILE Star Michael Clarke Duncan
David Morse co-stars with Bonnie Hunt, Doug Hutchison, and James Cromwell. Michael Jeter joins them with Sam Rockwell and Barry Pepper. Jeffrey DeMunn rounds out the cast with Harry Dean Stanton, William Sadler, and Gary Sinise.
The film was shot at old Tennessee State Prison on a budget of $60M.
Production designer Terence Marsh says: “We tried to give our set a sense of space. A sense of history. And a sense of mystery, in a way. We chose the elongated cathedral-like windows because there is a very mystical element in this movie, a supernatural element… It presented us with lots of opportunities.”
The Green Mile earned $136.8M in the U.S. and $150M elsewhere for a worldwide total of $286.8M. Better yet, the film was nominated for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Michael Clarke Duncan), and Best Sound.
It sports a 78% rating over on Rotten Tomatoes with this Critics Consensus: Though The Green Mile is long… it’s an absorbing, emotionally powerful experience.
How much do you love Stephen King’s The Green Mile?
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