The series is loosely based on Sarah Winchester and The Winchester "Mystery" House. The story has noticeably strong ties to Shirley Jackson's book which was made into the movie, Gli invasati (1963) which Stephen King has mentioned was one of his favorite novels.
After work on the script was delayed by Stephen King's automobile accident, he finished a revised screenplay of "Rose Red" in a month, restructuring it as a mini-series instead. The writing proved very therapeutic for King: "I was using the work as dope, basically, because it worked better than anything they were giving me to ease the pain. It was difficult pen-pushing for 45 minutes a day, but it was vital to get back into work, because you have to break the ice somehow. I'm either continuing with the work or I'm not. And if I can do this, maybe I can walk, or resume some kind of human intercourse. Work seemed a logical place to start."
David Dukes died of a heart attack while he was playing tennis, the night before he was due to return to continue his scenes.
The budget ballooned from an original $3 million to an estimated $35 million, to accommodate the lavish sets of Rose Red Mansion.
Actor Matt Ross had to gain weight for the role of Emery; he also had to wear a fat suit on top of that.