Cary Elwes comes to Mesa to talk about ‘The Princess Bride’

Your favorite swashbuckling heartthrob will share stories about the classic film during an Oct. 11 screening.

March 24, 2025

Cary Elwes appears at the 2014 Phoenix Comicon event (now Phoenix Fan Fusion.) Gage Skidmore/CC BY 2.0/Flickr

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It's been nearly 40 years since "The Princess Bride" debuted, and the fairytale romance is still beloved by generations of film fans.

Now, its hero, Cary Elwes, is headed to the Valley for a special event: Mesa Arts Center announced "The Princess Bride: An Inconceivable Evening with Cary Elwes" on Monday morning.

On Oct. 11, Elwes will treat the audience to a behind-the-scenes look at life on and off the set of the classic film. After a screening of the iconic movie, Elwes will engage in a moderated discussion, revealing never-before-shared secrets and tales of inconceivable antics.

For the uninitiated, "The Princess Bride" is a story within a story: a man reads his grandson the titular tale, in which Westley (Elwes) and Buttercup (Robin Wright) fall in love but are separated when he leaves to seek his fortune and she's forced to get engaged to the odious Prince Humperdinck. Westley comes back for his beloved with the help of some wild characters, and (spoiler alert) true love prevails at the end. The delightful cast also includes Wallace Shawn, Mandy Patinkin, Andre the Giant, Chris Sarandon, Carol Kane, Billy Crystal, Fred Savage and Peter Falk.

"The Princess Bride" was Elwes' breakout role; the British actor's filmography includes “Robin Hood: Men in Tights,” “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” “Saw,” “Days of Thunder” “Twister” and “Liar, Liar.” He recently starred in Guy Ritchie’s “Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre,” and “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning.” His TV credits include "Seinfeld," "Stranger Things" and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Wednesday for Mesa Arts Center members and 10 a.m. Friday for the general public. Seats start at $49.50. VIP packages that include premium seats, a meet-and-greet with Elwes, and a signed copy of his best-selling book, "As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales From the Making of The Princess Bride."

Jennifer Goldberg is the Senior Editor of Culture at Phoenix New Times. She joined the New Times staff in February 2016. In her role, Jennifer writes and publishes profiles of both local and regional musicians, previews upcoming performances and provides guides on the best of Phoenix’s entertainment scene. She also oversees the Best of Phoenix. Jennifer previously worked for Jewish News of Greater Phoenix. During her career, Jennifer has received awards from the Arizona Press Club, the Arizona Newspaper Association and the American Jewish Press Association. She holds a bachelor’s of arts in English from Arizona State University.

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