Here’s Why Rob Reiner Will Never Do ‘Princess Bride’ Sequel

It doesn’t matter if a genius screenwriter came up with the perfect script for a sequel to The Princess Bride. No matter how brilliant the story, Rob Reiner swears he would never direct it.

“The reason I wouldn’t do it is because Bill Goldman, William Goldman, who wrote the screenplay and who wrote the book that it’s based on, says it’s his favorite thing that he’s ever written,” Reiner told Entertainment Weekly. “He wanted it on his tombstone.”

Goldman passed away in 2018 (no word on whether Princess Bride was etched on his stone), making it impossible for Reiner to get his blessing to continue the story. “And I would never do anything without his approval,” Reiner said.

“The Princess Bride is the only novel of mine I really like,” Goldman wrote in his book, Which Lie Did I Tell?: More Adventures in the Screen Trade. To say he was passionate about his story was an understatement.

At one point, Fox had purchased The Princess Bride with the intent of turning it into a film. Goldman wrote a screenplay, which Fox liked. Then he worked with director Richard Lester on a rewrite, which Fox liked even better. Unfortunately, the executive with greenlight power at Fox was fired, leaving the project in limbo. Goldman realized that Fox could dump his screenplay and hire another writer to do whatever it wanted with The Princess Bride. Screw that — Goldman was so determined to protect his novel that he used his own money to buy back the rights from the movie studio.

Reiner had come into the picture years earlier. Goldman had written a book about Broadway, and the show he’d seen the most often was directed by Rob’s father, comedy legend Carl Reiner. The two became friends, and Goldman sent Carl a copy of The Princess Bride when it was published in 1973. Carl gave a copy to his kid, who was then an up-and-coming actor on All in the Family. 

“My favorite book as a young adult, growing up, was The Princess Bride,” Rob told the Television Academy. “I loved that book. It is just the hippest, smartest, funniest book ever.” 

Years later, he met with Goldman to share his ideas for bringing the movie to life. The author listened without comment as Reiner explained his approach, and Reiner was sure the pitch was going poorly. But after retreating to his kitchen for a snack, Goldman returned with enthusiasm. “I just think this is going great,” he said. “I’m having the greatest time. I love it.”

Goldman was so intent on getting his story exactly right that he was willing to wait 15 years for Reiner to make it happen. “I had started writing something for my kids when the ’70s started,” he said. “The movie hit the theaters in 1987. It’s the new millennium now, and your kids can see it on tape. When you say that, smile.”