The film languished in development hell for ten years, with the story passing through three companies and eighteen screenplays. Finally, Andrew G. Vajna and Mario Kassar, two film distributors looking to become producers, obtained the film rights.
For a decade, the film was stuck in development hell, going through multiple studios and script revisions.  Finally, Andrew G. Vajna and Mario Kassar, ambitious filmmakers seeking to produce their own projects, secured the film's rights.