Starting in the late ’80s, writer/director Frank Darabont had quite the three-decade run cranking out screenplays, directing movies, and developing television series without much downtime. By his own admission, he didn’t even bother to slow down enough to take in the ones that had crossed over into another level of success.
Case in point: The Shawshank Redemption, which he wrote and directed 25-years ago. At the time of its release in 1994, it was actually a box office disappointment. But it ascended to the level of beloved classic via home video rentals and then seemingly constant basic cable airings, before engendering a die-hard fandom that ranks it up there with the all-time greats.
Source: IGN.com Darabont Looks Back on the Making of Shawshank Redemption