The Shawshank Redemption | From What Went Wrong

The Shawshank Redemption | From What Went Wrong

From Revisionist History by Pushkin Industries

April 21, 2026 · 1h 30m · Season 15

About this episode

This episode explores the troubled history of The Shawshank Redemption, from its initial disappointment to its status as a beloved classic.

We've just begun our series around mistakes and last week, you heard Michael Lynton, former head of Sony Pictures Entertainment, share how he found himself at the center of one of the most devastating corporate hacks in history. This week, we're sharing a preview of another podcast that looks at notorious Hollywood mistakes and the difficulties of movie-making, What Went Wrong. The Shawshank Redemption is the highest rated movie on IMDb. It’s held that position for nearly as long as the site has existed, yet its history is far more troubled than most people know. Hosts Lizzie Bassett and Chris Winterbauer explore the journey the movie took from big screen disappointment to near universally beloved American classic. Find more episodes of What Went Wrong wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Topics covered

  • Hollywood mistakes
  • movie-making
  • The Shawshank Redemption

Keywords

  • IMDb
  • corporate hacks
  • American classic

Mentioned in this episode

Products: What Went Wrong

Books & works: The Shawshank Redemption, What Went Wrong

Places: Hollywood

More episodes of Revisionist History

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Revisionist History podcast page.