 Schlöndorff's idea to create the film originally stemmed from his desire to create a sequel to his 1979 film "The Tin Drum", since the film only covered part of the Günter Grass novel on which it was based, but the main cast member David Bennent had grown out of the role and Schlöndorff was unwilling to recast the role.Schlöndorff decided that Tournier's novel reflected his specific interest in the war in particular.Filming began in 1995 on location in Malbork and Paris, with Ezio Frigerio as production designer, who intentionally made the sets look as if they were from a fairytale.