Producer Augusto Caminito originally hired director Maurizio Lucidi, who shot a few crowd scenes in Venice before the script had even been completed. Caminito decided that the project needed another director and fired Lucidi (paying him his full salary), hiring Pasquale Squitieri to write and direct the picture. However, Squitieri's screenplay proved too expensive to shoot so Caminito decided to stop working with him (he nevertheless paid him his full, hefty, salary). Shooting had already been postponed several times and the Italian TV network which co-produced the film was getting nervous. So Caminito hired a third director, B-movie veteran Mario Caiano, and shooting could start. On his first day, Klaus Kinski got into a violent argument with Caiano and refused to work with him. The director then agreed to leave the set (after being paid his full salary), the third director to leave the picture before principal photography was complete. Facing disaster, producer Augusto Caminito then decided to direct the film himself so he wouldn't have to pay another director. Since he had almost no directing experience, he was helped by his assistant Luigi Cozzi. Kinski also reportedly directed some scenes himself.
Klaus Kinski was supposed to reprise his character from the Werner Herzog picture Nosferatu, fantôme de la nuit (1979), wearing the same make-up (bald head, chalk-white skin, protruding teeth). However, the actor arrived on the set sporting long hair and declaring that he had no intention of going through painful make-up sessions again. This is why "Nosferatu" doesn't look anything like the original F.W. Murnau-Herzog character.
Amanda Sandrelli originally played the role of Maria Canins, but Klaus Kinski forced the producers to fire her. When Anne Knecht visited her boyfriend Yorgo Voyagis on set, Kinski liked Knecht so much that he forced the producers to 'cast' her. Knecht eventually performed a nude sex scene with Kinski for the film.
According to Luigi Cozzi, at one point the entire crew abandoned the set in protest of Klaus Kinski who later apologized for his behaviour.