Thomas wrote the screenplay in 1979, her only screenplay to be produced in her lifetime. Zemeckis, who at the time was developing "Cocoon", liked Thomas' screenplay and offered to direct but 20th Century Fox initially declined, citing the commercial failure of his first two films "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" and "Used Cars". The director would eventually be dismissed from "Cocoon" after an early screening of "Romancing the Stone" failed to further impress studio executives. Alan Silvestri, who would collaborate with Zemeckis on his later films, composed the film's score.