The film was first announced in the fall of 1988, just after the publication of the novel. It was to be written and directed by Seltzer, produced at Columbia Pictures and would likely star Debra Winger. By late 1989, just after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Seltzer and producer Rosenman were reported to be scouting potential locations in East Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow, and Budapest, and Meg Ryan and Michelle Pfeiffer were reported to be top contenders for the lead role. The production moved soon after to Twentieth Century Fox, and in February 1990, it was announced that Melanie Griffith had been cast. After permission was secured to shoot the film on location in East Germany, the majority of it was shot in Berlin and Potsdam starting in October 1990, just as Germany was being reunified. Studio work was done at the DEFA Studios, the state film studios of East Germany.