Tom Hulce, star of Sự Đố Kỵ Của Thiên Tài (1984), was originally intended to play the lead part of Erik. However, by the time that funding was secured, Hulce had decided to take a break from films to concentrate on his stage career.
Although in many ways a fantasy film, a certain amount of historical accuracy was intended. Most notably, not one horned helmet is seen in the entire movie.