▁was ▁originally ▁written ▁for ▁the ▁screen ▁by ▁Sam ▁Hamm ▁but ▁the ▁screen play ▁was ▁alter ed ▁over ▁time ▁and ▁Hamm ▁ended ▁up ▁sharing ▁credit ▁with ▁Curt is ▁Hans on ▁and ▁Richard ▁K letter . ▁▁▁ ▁Smith , ▁who ▁had ▁previously ▁worked ▁with ▁Disney ▁on ▁films ▁such ▁as ▁No ▁De pos it , ▁No ▁Return ▁and ▁Her bie ▁Go es ▁Ban anas , ▁devoted ▁almost ▁three ▁years ▁to ▁Never ▁Cry ▁Wolf . ▁Smith ▁wrote , ▁" I ▁was ▁much ▁more ▁closely ▁involved ▁in ▁that ▁picture ▁than ▁I ▁had ▁been ▁in ▁any ▁other ▁film . ▁Not ▁only ▁acting , ▁but ▁writing ▁and ▁the ▁whole ▁cre ative ▁process ." ▁ ▁He ▁also ▁found ▁the ▁process ▁difficult . ▁ ▁" D uring ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁two - year ▁shooting ▁schedule ▁in ▁Canada ' s ▁Y uk on ▁and ▁in ▁N ome , ▁Al aska , ▁I ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁actor ▁present . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁lon eli est ▁film ▁I ' ve ▁ever ▁worked ▁on ," ▁ ▁Smith ▁said . ▁ ▁Fil ming ▁locations ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁locations ▁ ▁for ▁Never ▁Cry ▁Wolf ▁included ▁N ome , ▁Al aska , ▁the ▁Y uk on ▁Territ ory , ▁and ▁ ▁At lin , ▁British ▁Columbia , ▁Canada . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁ ▁Crit ical ▁response ▁▁ ▁When ▁Never ▁Cry ▁Wolf ▁was ▁released , ▁a ▁review ▁in ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times ▁called ▁the ▁film , ▁"... ▁subt le , ▁complex ▁and ▁hyp not ic ▁... ▁triumph ant ▁film making !" ▁ ▁Br end on ▁Han ley ▁of ▁All movie