The script was rumored to have been dumped on the doorstep of Keanu Reeves' house, a tactic that piqued his interest, and led to him accepting the role of Johnny.
At one point, Johnny's brain implant is detected by a security scanner and is falsely reported as a device for counteracting dyslexia. Keanu Reeves does in fact suffer from the disorder in real life.
William Gibson was very unhappy with what became of this adaptation of his own story. Despite being credited as the sole screenwriter, he has insisted for years that it wasn't his screenplay that was ultimately produced.
Robert Longo and William Gibson originally intended to make an art film on a small budget, but failed to get financing. Longo commented that the project "started out as an arty $1.5 million movie, and it became a $30 million movie, because we couldn't get a million and a half."
According to William Gibson, the movie was re-edited by the producers in order to make it more "mainstream". The Japanese release is said to be closer to the director's and Gibson's original vision.
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