For many fans, The Princess Bride is a comfort movie that never gets old. Beloved for its hilarious cast of characters, fantastical epic of true love, and extremely quotable lines, this ‘80s classic hits even harder since the death of its director, Rob Reiner. The Stand By Me director and his wife, Michelle Reiner, were found dead in their home in December 2025, and their son, Nick, was arrested on murder charges shortly after. Reiner would have been 79 this week, and PB star Cary Elwes shared a sweet tribute to the director who gave him his breakout role.
Countless admirers and past collaborators posted tributes to the Misery director immediately following the news, but the loss has clearly remained raw for many of his friends, including Cary Elwes. The 63-year-old actor played the masked menace-turned-hero Westley in Reiner’s 1987 adaptation of The Princess Bride. The Twister actor took to Instagram this week to honor his late friend and mentor on his would be birthday, and the caption has me in my feels:
Today would have been your 79th birthday. Still hard to believe you’re gone. Missing you so much [Rob Reiner] ⚔️💔
The swords and the broken heart? I’m going to cry. Anyone who has seen The Princess Bride knows Westley is a master swordsman but, at his core, he’s a lover, not a fighter.
Reiner and Elwes first met on the set of Princess Bride, but that was only the start of a long friendship. Though their next film together wasn’t until 2015’s Being Charlie, the two remained close. Elwes expressed in depth what the All In The Family icon meant to him in an Instagram post a few weeks after Reiner’s death and, before that, Elwes simply shared a BTS photo with a brief caption that felt understated but poingnant:
Elwes writes in one of his posts that The Princess Bride is about “love, loyalty, and sacrifice. Things that Rob held dear. Which is among the many reasons he was the perfect person to direct it.” All of Reiner’s work have these markers, and his filmography is full of movies that tug at your heartstrings. When Harry Met Sally will make any cynic believe in soulmates and fate, and Stand By Me might just make someone text that childhood friend they lost touch with.
While it is devastating to lose an iconic storyteller such as Reiner, it’s comforting to know that so many people such as Elwes cared for him, and will continue to look after his other children, Jake and Romy Reiner.
As for Rob Reiner’s legacy, it looks like his classic fantasy tale will remain untouched, as stars Cary Elwes and Robin Wright have confirmed there is no sequel on the horizon, and they don’t support a remake of the classic fantasy tale. I have to agree, it’s a movie that stands the test of time, and I can’t imagine rebooting it into a film franchise nearly 40 years later, especially without its esteemed director.
Rob Reiner’s The Princess Bride is available to stream now with a Disney+ subscription.
