In an interview with the Nostalgia Critic, Mara Wilson said that production was very hard for her because her mother had recently died. She claims to have some regrets over her behavior on set because her mind was in a bad place. To this day, she has little recollection of making this film and says she shouldn't have been making a film at the time.
In a September 2019 interview with The Hilarious World of Depression, Mara Wilson revealed that she and Francis Capra had a love-hate relationship with each other during production. But many years later after reconnecting, they reconciled and made amends. Capra said to Wilson "I'll always love you as my sister", and Wilson reciprocated saying "and I'll always love you as my brother".
Mara Wilson and Jack McGee previously costarred in "Miracle on 34th Street" (1994).
Glenn Close, Anjelica Huston, Miranda Richardson, Helen Mirren, Whoopi Goldberg, Rene Russo, Kathy Najimy, Susan Sarandon, Jessica Lange, Olivia Hussey, Geena Davis, Caroline Rhea, Kathy Griffin, Bette Midler and Cathy Moriarty were all considered for the role of Claudia.