Final produced screenplay by Melissa Mathison prior to her death on November 4, 2015. This movie is dedicated to her as a tribute. The closing credits dedication reads: "For our Melissa".
This movie had been in development for almost twenty-five years.
Producer and director Steven Spielberg tried to convince Gene Wilder to make an appearance in this movie, but Wilder declined. Wilder played the title character in Willy Wonka y su fábrica de chocolates (1971), also based on a Roald Dahl book. Wilder died a month after this movie's release on August 29, 2016.
This marked the reunion of producer and director Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Melissa Mathison, following their celebrated collaboration on E.T. el extraterrestre (1982).
John Williams returned to score this movie. He had not worked on Steven Spielberg's previous movie Puente de espías (2015). Only two other times in forty-two years have the pair not worked together on a theatrical movie.