Sigourney Weaver stated that one of the reasons she wanted to play the "Evil Queen" role was for never having actually understood why the King would be so "stupid" to marry such a cruel woman, "not just unpleasant" but also a killer, so she wanted to provide a stepmother with the best intentions of being a mother in this film.
Lilli's actual medical condition from the poisoned apple is called "locked-in syndrome," in which she is "imprisoned" within her body, remaining aware and awake but cannot communicate verbally or move the body except for the eyes. (Claudia describing the condition: "You can see, and you can hear, but from inside the tomb of your mind. No breath will escape your lips, no tears your eyes. To the world, you are dead... But you, my dear, you will have all eternity to remember.")
Sigourney Weaver said of her hag makeup, "It's such a pleasure to run up and scare people between takes [...]. Sam Neill hated it. I'd come around and I'd pet him. It made him so uncomfortable. I told him, 'Oh, dearie, you make me want to be 50 again'."
The large oak cabinet containing the mirror was made in Suffolk, England. The carved figure on the doors with the hands that interlaced when the doors were closed were carved by Master Carver Nick Webb.