Kaplan left to direct "Project X" (1987), and finding his replacement took six months. Many prospects declined because of the film's title. The role was offered to David Cronenberg, Alex Cox, and Monte Hellman; Hellman joined as second unit director. Miner petitioned to direct, but Orion refused to trust a $7million project to an untested director. Miner declined the second unit director position in order to direct "Deadly Weapon" (1989); Orion executive Barbara Boyle suggested Paul Verhoeven—who had received acclaim for his work on "Soldier of Orange" (1977) and his only English-language film "Flesh+Blood" (1985)—for director.