Princess Bride Reunion
On September 13, 2020, most of the original cast from The Princess Bride joined a virtual reading of the film’s script to raise money for Wisconsin Democrats. Returning actors included Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal, and Carol Kane. New performers filled other roles, such as Rob Reiner as the Grandfather, Josh Gad as Fezzik, Eric Idle as the Impressive Clergyman, Whoopi Goldberg as the Ancient Booer and the Mother, and Jason Reitman as the Narrator. Norman Lear joined the post-reading Q&A hosted by Patton Oswalt.
The event was promoted with the hashtags #PrincessBrideReunion and #DumpTrumperdinck. It attracted more than 110,000 donations of $1 or more, raising about $4.25 million for Wisconsin Democrats (the total later updated to about $4.26 million with more than 142,000 donors). The livestream received positive reviews, with particular praise for Mandy Patinkin’s performance.
The idea for the fundraiser came from a West Wing cast reunion, which inspired the Wisconsin Democrats to bring back Princess Bride cast members. Elwes contacted Ben Wikler, chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, and the campaign used digital ads and social media to spread the word. Elwes began teasing the event on Twitter in early September and publicly announced it on September 4.
Wisconsin was seen as a key swing state in the 2020 election. The event took place amid ongoing political tension in the state after the 2016 election and local demonstrations. Some political commentary referenced reactions to the event online.
Ahead of the reading, there were some changes to the cast: Whoopi Goldberg joined to play multiple parts, Eric Idle took on The Impressive Clergyman, and Josh Gad appeared as Fezzik. The roles of Grandpa and The Narrator, originally played by Peter Falk in the film, were performed by Rob Reiner and Jason Reitman. Fred Savage could not join because of a scheduling conflict.
During the reading, Jason Reitman read the stage directions in addition to the Narrator’s lines. Finn Wolfhard read Bach’s parts and The Grandson; King Bach did not appear due to technical problems. The performers were filmed at home due to the coronavirus, wearing everyday clothing and using minimal props, though Mandy Patinkin and Billy Crystal used some items from the movie.
After the read-through, Oswalt led a Q&A with questions from online viewers. Norman Lear said there were no plans to remake The Princess Bride, but he would like to see a musical version someday.
Reception was broadly positive. The A.V. Club praised the evident love and enthusiasm from everyone involved, with special note for Patinkin. Other outlets highlighted moments like Josh Gad’s tribute to Andre the Giant, Billy Crystal’s Miracle Max segment, and Patinkin’s standout performance. The New Yorker called attention to Patinkin’s dramatic delivery and sword moment. Entertainment Weekly pointed out memorable visuals, such as Crystal’s background and the Q&A, and noted the overall warmth of the event.
By September 18, donations reached about $4.26 million. Elwes later said the success sparked interest in similar table-read fundraisers for other battleground states. By late October, reports described a wave of virtual cast reunions tied to political fundraising. A recording of the live performance was made available to donors through a passcode.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 23:40 (CET).