'The Shawshank Redemption' 4K Will Tunnel Its Way To Freedom This September

The Shawshank Redemption, a great movie that got a bad wrap after playing on cable 24 hours a day for five straight years in a row, is coming to 4K. The Stephen King adaptation from director Frank Darabont opened in 1994. While the movie would go on to score some Oscar nominations, it was actually a box office disappointment. Thankfully, Shawshank eventually found its audience on home video.

At some point, I feel like it became cool to declare disdain for The Shawshank Redemption. I don't have the data to back this up, but I'm pretty sure the backlash against the movie came from its constant rotation on cable. It ended up earning itself a "dad movie" monicker, and folks turned up their noses. This is slightly ironic, because Shawshank was not a hit when it opened, and it was only due to home video and TV airings that the movie became truly popular.

I'm not sure what the general consensus on the movie is now, but I remain a fan. It's a thoughtful, well-made drama with great performances and a killer musical score – it's also one of the best Stephen King adaptations. And while it's not your typical King adaptation, but it still captures his voice and storytelling prowess.

Now, The Shawshank Redemption is headed our way on 4K Blu-ray and digital release.

The Shawshank Redemption "tells the story of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a prominent banker unjustly convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment at Maine's Shawshank Prison. He is befriended by longtime convict Red (Morgan Freeman) who's been in long enough to know the ropes and helps him cope with the frightening realities of prison life. As the two men grow closer, so does the sense of hope that can truly set them free.

You can grab The Shawshank Redemption 4K Blu-ray (or digital release) on September 14.

The Shawshank Redemption 4K Special Features

Here's what you'll find included on the disc. It's worth noting these features aren't new, but this is the first time the film will be available on 4K with high dynamic range (HDR), and that's probably more than enough reason to scoop it up.

  • Commentary by Frank Darabont
  • "Hope Springs Eternal: A Look Back at The Shawshank Redemption"
  • "Shawshank: The Redeeming Feature"
  • "The SharkTank Redemption"
  • 5xStills Galleries
  • "Bogs Takes a Fall" Storyboards
  • "New Fish Arrive" Storyboards
  • You can check out the (admittedly uninspired) cover art below as well.