 Oliver Stone's first choice for the lead was Academy Award-winner Jon Voight, who declined the role.Stone also approached other Oscar-winners Dustin Hoffman and Christopher Walken.Michael Caine, however, after the success of his previous film "Dressed to Kill", was interested in making another horror film to earn enough to put a down payment on a new garage he was having built, and he agreed to take the part after talks with the director.