Shawshank State Prison

Shawshank State Prison is a fictional New England state prison that is alleged to be in the state of Maine. It serves as the primary location in the novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King, as well as its subsequent film adaptation. The prison has also been mentioned in several other works by King.

"Shawshank" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Shawshank tree, Shashank, or Shoshenq.
Shawshank State Prison
Stephen King location
Prison as pictured in film adaptation
First appearanceRita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption (1982)
Created byStephen King
GenreCrime fiction
Information
TypePrison

Overview

Shawshank State Prison first appeared in Stephen King's novella entitled Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. The story was originally published in the 1982 short story collection Different Seasons alongside three other novellas, two of which also referenced the prison.

The Shawshank Redemption, a motion picture based on the novella, was released in 1994. The actual building used for filming was the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio.[1]

Shawshank State Prison also appears in several episodes of the Hulu original series Castle Rock. For the series, the showrunners used the West Virginia Penitentiary as the prison. “Part of the reason we chose the prison that we chose to shoot at was we loved the idea that there are houses literally in the shadow of the prison," said showrunner Sam Shaw. "It’s pretty different from the amazing prison in Ohio that they shot for the movie, which stands alone."[2]

Works that reference Shawshank State Prison
Publication year Title Notes
1982 Apt Pupil The novella was originally published in the collection Different Seasons.
The Body The novella was originally published in the collection Different Seasons.
1985 Nona Published in Skeleton Crew.
1986 It
1990 The Sun Dog Novella published in Four Past Midnight.
1991 Needful Things
1992 Dolores Claiborne
1993 "The Fifth Quarter" Originally published in the April 1972 issue of Cavalier, "The Fifth Quarter" was later revised and published in the 1993 short story collection Nightmares & Dreamscapes. It's in this latter publication in which the main character mentions that he served time at Shawshank.[3]
1998 Bag of Bones
2007 Blaze
2009 Under the Dome
2010 A Good Marriage Novella published in Full Dark, No Stars.
2011 11/22/63
2020 Mr. Harrigan's Phone Novella published in If It Bleeds.

In other media

Apart from appearing in the Castle Rock TV series, Shawshank State Prison is also mentioned in two episodes of Haven. References to the prison can also be found in works of King's son Joe Hill, including the novel NOS4A2 and the 2019 comic Basket Full of Heads.[4][5]

The name "Shawshank" is often used in popular culture as a noun to reference a successful prison break. An example of this can be found in the twelfth episode of The Flash's first season.[6] The series itself features cast members from The Shawshank Redemption, including Clancy Brown and William Sadler.[7][8]

See also

References
  1. Heidenry, Margaret (September 22, 2014). "The Little-Known Story of How The Shawshank Redemption Became One of the Most Beloved Films of All Time". Vanity Fair. Condé Nast. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  2. Grebey, James (July 24, 2018). "'Castle Rock' Showrunners Reveal the Grim Significance of Shawshank Prison". Inverse. Bustle Digital Group. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  3. Wiater, Stanley; Golden, Christopher; Wagner, Hank (May 30, 2006). The Complete Stephen King Universe: A Guide to the Worlds of Stephen King (Revised ed.). New York City: St. Martin's Press. pp. 464–465. ISBN 0312324901.
  4. Melrose, Kevin (June 2, 2019). "Wait, Is AMC's NOS4A2 Set in the Stephen King Universe?". Comic Book Resources. Valnet Inc. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  5. Paul, Andrew (November 5, 2019). "Hill House: DC's Basketful of Heads Set in the Stephen King Universe". Comic Book Resources. Valnet Inc. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  6. ""Crazy for You"". The Flash (2014 TV series). Season 1. Episode 12. February 3, 2015. The CW. "Word around here is, Parker pulled a Shawshank?".
  7. Stanhope, Kate (August 4, 2015). "'Chicago P.D.' Nabs 'The Flash' Vet for Recurring Role (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Valence Media. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  8. Burlingame, Russ (July 12, 2014). "The Flash Recruits William Sadler to Play Simon Stagg; Metamorpho On the Way?". Comicbook.com. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
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