Stephen Chbosky spent years refusing to sell his novel's rights to anyone who would not also let him write and direct it. He eventually struck a deal with John Malkovich's production company. But studios still would not fund it. The subject matter made them nervous.
Emma Watson fixed that. Freshly out of Harry Potter, she flew to Los Angeles and personally walked into offices at Paramount, Warner Bros., and Disney to pitch the film. She convinced Summit Entertainment's Erik Feig to greenlight it in early 2011.
The film they made was shot in Pittsburgh, where Chbosky grew up. The tunnel scene where someone stands in the truck bed with their arms out is the Fort Pitt Tunnel. That is the real tunnel. Chbosky used his own childhood locations throughout.
People on Backlot are watching it right now. It is free to stream on The CW.
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