Inspiration for the Work: Ellis cites his major influences as Joan Didion and Los Angeles noir, but he was also inspired by the moral ambiguity of American Gigolo.
What Could Have Been: The first draft was incredibly emotional and overwrought, and in the third-person. Ellis' creative writing teacher, novelist Joe McGinniss, advised that he return to the first-person style of roman à clef (which Ellis was hesitant to do) and Ellis stripped it back, from there evoking the minimalist style for which it became famous.
Cast the Runner-Up: James Spader was briefly considered to play Clay Easton before the producers felt he would be more effective and stronger as the character Rip.
Completely Different Title: Some of the film's english translations of this film's foreign film titles were as follows:
Argentina: Corrupción en Beverly Hills (Corruption in Beverly Hills)
Denmark: Livet i overhalingsbanen (Life in the Fast Lane)
Finland: Alta Nollan (Under Nothing)
France: Neige sur Beverly Hills (Snow on Beverly Hills)
Germany: Unter Null (Under Zero)
Israel: Young in Trap
Italy: Al Di Là Di Tutti i Limiti (Beyond All the Limits)
Spain: Golpe al Sueño Americano (A Blow to the American Dream)
Sweden: Noll Att Förlora (Nothing to Lose).
Creator's Favorite Episode: Despite the rough experience of the shoot, Robert Downey Jr. considers this movie to be one of his all time favorite movies of his own, citing his performance of Julian Wells as "the ghost of Christmas Future", to his personal life.
Disowned Adaptation: Bret Easton Ellis hated the film initially. He admits that the film bears no resemblance to his novel but that it captured, "a certain youth culture during that decade that no other movie caught", and felt that it was miscast with the exceptions of Robert Downey Jr.. and James Spader. Furthermore, he has said:
I think that movie is gorgeous, and the performances that I thought were shaky seem much better now. Like, Jami Gertz seems much better to me now than she did 20 years ago. It's something I can watch.
Executive Meddling: Cinematographer Edward Lachman has said that the completed picture was originally a lot edgier and the studio, who felt the property was too edgy anyway and had limited the film's cost budget, wanted to tone down the movie and make it more commercial audience friendly, and did this by taking the film away from director Marek Kanievska in post-production.
Stillborn Franchise: Ellis has revealed that the film's main characters are all still alive in the present day, and has already begun looking ahead to the possibility of a film adaptation of the sequel Imperial Bedrooms. Ellis feels that interpreting it as a sequel to the film "would be a great idea" and hopes to be able to reunite James Spader, Andrew McCarthy, and Jami Gertz should Fox option the sequel.
