Readers of Literary Hub have voted The Princess Bride as the best literary film adaptation of the last 50 years. The 1987 film directed by Rob Reiner defeated The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King with 60% of the vote after six rounds and thousands of ballots cast.
Literary Hub concluded its bracket tournament on Monday, crowning The Princess Bride the top literary film adaptation since 1976. The satirical fantasy prevailed in the final matchup against The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, securing 60% of the votes. Earlier, it overcame The Silence of the Lambs, another top seed, by a 65% to 35% margin—the closest contest it faced throughout the competition. Organizers described the event as their most engaging yet, thanking participants for their involvement. The victory highlights the enduring appeal of Rob Reiner's adaptation of William Goldman's novel. Goldman, an Academy Award-winning screenwriter, penned the screenplay himself, calling it his favorite work. Reiner recalled his initial meeting with Goldman: “When I first met Bill Goldman to talk about this, he said, ‘This is my favorite thing I’ve ever written, and I want this on my tombstone. And what are you going to do with it?’” Despite initial Hollywood skepticism deeming the book unadaptable, Reiner's passion project became a cult classic, blending postmodern irreverence with slapstick humor. Literary Hub, managed by editor Emily Temple, plans future brackets for pre-1976 film adaptations and television versions.
