Jami Gertz as Terra Jason Patric as Jason Lukas Haas as Daniel James LeGros as Metron Claude Brooks as Rabbit Peter DeLuise as Tug Peter Kowanko as Gavial Adrian Pasdar as Darstar Sarah Douglas as Shandray Charles Durning as The Warden Frank Converse as Greentree Terrence Mann as Ivor Alexei Sayle as Malice Bruce Payne as Dogger Willoughby Gray as Canis Production Executive producer Mel Brooks explained how Solarbabies was made in an episode of the podcast How Did This Get Made? Co-writer Metrov was also interviewed for a How Did This Get Made? article for Slashfilm. Metrov was inspired by the "guerrilla filmmaking" methods of his friend Abel Ferrara to create a low-budget film of his own. He subsequently wrote a 32-page treatment for a science fiction film about a group of children he dubbed the "Little Rascals of the future." The treatment caught the attention of veteran screenwriter Walon Green, and Mark Johnson, an employee for Mel Brooks. To pitch the film to potential investors, Metrov filmed a 12-minute slideshow with random kids playing the parts. Metrov's presentation caught the attention of Brooks, who agreed to make it in Spain due to the lack of unions and cheaper production costs. Brooks also gave Metrov the director's chair. The production was greenlit with a $5 million budget, but Brooks was persuaded by his colleagues to increase the budget under the belief that it had greater potential. An additional $20 million was eventually required to complete the film. Because Metrov had no experience directing a big-budget film, Alan Johnson was hired as a replacement. The beginning of the shoot encountered delays because of unexpected heavy rains. Later, director Alan Johnson and the cast had so many disagreements that Brooks flew to the set and ordered the cast to get back to work or be fired. Brooks recounted how a number of sequences Johnson shot didn't make sense, or had poor coloration, and more money was needed for additional filming. Finally, more money was needed at the end for special effects. When production began, Brooks had invested approximately $1.5 million of his own money. As production delays mounted, he invested more, eventually taking out a second mortgage on his home. Brooks was forced to raise an additional $15 million through banks. Brooks was worried the movie could not be saved, so he cut together a 10-minute trailer for the movie in