Lindsay Lohan had signed on to play Veronika in 2006. The studios had big plans to make it her next big vehicle to appeal to teenagers and be released in early 2007. She eventually dropped out, however, to focus on smaller, independent projects in hopes of establishing herself as a more serious actress. Production then stalled for over a year.
Aidan Quinn and Bridget Fonda were considered for the roles of Mari and Dr. Blake (Dr. Igor in the novel).
Gillian Anderson and Katherine Fugate tried to produce a version of this movie in 2003/2004 but lost out on the bid to produce it.