The film's story and plot were mainly based on two Punisher comic book stories: "The Punisher: Year One" and "Welcome Back, Frank", along with scenes from other Punisher stories such as "Marvel Preview Presents: The Punisher #2", "Marvel Super Action Featuring: The Punisher #1", "The Punisher War Zone", and "The Punisher War Journal". "The Punisher" was shot on location in Tampa, Florida and environs in mid to late 2003. It was distributed by Lions Gate Films in North America, although Artisan Entertainment, which released a 1989 film adaptation of the same name on DVD, financed and co-distributed the film with eventual Artisan owner Lionsgate, while Columbia Pictures distributed the film in non-North American territories. Screenwriter Jonathan Hensleigh agreed to helm the film during its development stage despite a dispute with Marvel Studios, marking his directorial debut.