Dawson Casting: Lian's age is never said, but she appears to be a teenager (the other main characters, Geoff and Mansel, are meant to be about 16), and characters call her a "girl" instead of a woman. Her age is undoubtedly younger than actress Rona Figueroa's 28 at the time of filming.
Direct to Video: It's the first film in the franchise to get a direct-to-video release; the prequels would follow suit.
The film's video sales were successful enough for the head of the motion picture division to consider releasing it theatrically. However, Lefler shot the movie in the full-screen aspect ratio for TV, expanding the shots revealed light stamps in the frames, and making the film widescreen would have been too expensive. Plus, the CGI resolution wasn't good enough for a theatrical release. Nonetheless, the movie was released in some theatres overseas.
The screenwriter of the prequels, Matthew Feitshans, considers A New Beginning as being "on its own little island," so the prequels may not connect to it like it's Canon Discontinuity.
Director Doug Lefler made the concept art and storyboards for the film.
Goodhartz wrote the lyrics for the end credits song, "My Heart Goes With You," reportedly in a week, and the first film's heart-sharing element inspired the song title.
A corporate issue at Blockbuster resulted in low amounts of the film being available in their stores.
Raffaella De Laurentiis wanted the film to have an end-credits pop song, like those from the Disney films at the time. After composer Mark McKenzie wrote the Asian-inspired musical structure for it, Goodhartz wrote the lyrics around the theme of loved ones never being truly gone, inspired by personal losses in her life.
The twist of Osric being Griffin in human form wasn't in Goodhartz's initial screenplay for the film. She got inspired while watching Beauty and the Beast with some kids, mainly the Gaston character. "They didn't understand that a handsome man could be bad, and I really wanted to play that game." Goodhartz desired to dramatize the idea that "things are not always what they appear" by showing children negative human traits through Osric, like arrogance, fascism, impatience, and racism.
Miscellaneous
This is the only Dragonheart film where an American actor voices the dragon.
It's the only Dragonheart film not rated PG-13.
This film is Shari Goodhartz's first credit as a screenwriter for a movie.
It's the first film in the Dragonheart series to feature a dragon whose name doesn't begin with "Dra-" with that dragon being Griffin.
It's the only Dragonheart film with more than one dragon onscreen simultaneously.
It's the first film in the franchise to begin and end with narration; Dragonheart: Vengeance is the next Dragonheart movie to do so.
