▁John ▁C . ▁Cal h oun ▁ ▁Austin ▁P end leton ▁as ▁Professor ▁Jos iah ▁Will ard ▁Gib bs ▁Sr . ▁ ▁Pedro ▁Arm end á riz ▁Jr . ▁as ▁General ▁Bald om ero ▁Es par tero ▁ ▁Ret ired ▁U . S . ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁Justice ▁Harry ▁Black mun ▁also ▁appears ▁in ▁the ▁film ▁as ▁Justice ▁Joseph ▁Story . ▁ ▁Production ▁ ▁Act ress ▁and ▁director ▁Deb bie ▁Allen ▁had ▁run ▁across ▁some ▁books ▁about ▁the ▁mut iny ▁on ▁La ▁Am ist ad ▁and ▁brought ▁the ▁subject ▁to ▁H BO ▁Pictures , ▁which ▁chose ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁film ▁adaptation ▁of ▁the ▁subject . ▁She ▁later ▁presented ▁the ▁project ▁to ▁Dream Work s ▁SK G ▁to ▁release ▁the ▁film , ▁which ▁agreed . ▁Steven ▁Spiel berg , ▁who ▁wanted ▁to ▁stretch ▁his ▁art istic ▁wings ▁after ▁making ▁The ▁Lost ▁World : ▁Jur ass ic ▁Park ▁( 1 9 9 7 ), ▁was ▁interested ▁in ▁direct ing ▁it ▁for ▁Dream Work s , ▁which ▁he ▁also ▁co - f ounded , ▁as ▁well . ▁ ▁Fil ming ▁of ▁the ▁exterior ▁and ▁interior ▁court ▁scenes ▁took ▁place ▁at ▁the ▁Old ▁Col ony ▁House ▁in ▁New port , ▁Rh ode ▁Island , ▁and ▁then ▁moved ▁to ▁Son al yst ▁Studios . ▁The ▁opening ▁scene ▁was ▁fil med ▁on ▁a ▁sound ▁stage ▁in ▁Universal ▁Studios . ▁Production ▁then ▁went ▁to ▁Puerto ▁Rico ▁for ▁the ▁scenes ▁set ▁in ▁Africa , ▁including ▁those ▁with ▁the ▁slave ▁for tr ess . ▁ ▁Post - production ▁was ▁done ▁rarely ▁with ▁Spiel