On 24 Jun 1990, LAT reported that writer Ira Levin was preparing for the Mar 1991 publication of Sliver, his first novel since The Boys From Brazil (1976). Levin’s agent indicated that they would wait for reviews and sales figures before seeking a deal for film rights. A year later, the 15 Jul 1991 DV stated that producer Robert Evans had returned to Paramount Pictures after an eight-year hiatus. Under his new five-year exclusive contract, Evans acquired rights to Sliver, which marked his second adaptation of an Ira Levin property following the success of Rosemary’s Baby (1968, see entry). Joe Eszterhas was selected to write the screenplay, and the budget was estimated at $30--$40 million. According to the 2 Jun 1992 DV, Paramount approached director Stephen Frears, but ultimately hired Phillip Noyce, who had recently directed Patriot Games (1992, see entry) for the studio. Actresses considered for the role of “Carly Norris” included Michelle Pfeiffer, Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, and Sharon Stone, star of Eszterhas’ Basic Instinct (1992, see entry). Although the 22 Jun 1992 Var indicated that Stone initially passed on the offer, an 18 Aug 1992 DV article announced that she had changed her mind after the studio tailored the second draft especially for her. According to a 21 May 1993 EW article, Stone did not officially commit until shortly before the start of production, when Evans "bluffed" by claiming that actress Geena Davis, who was in competition with Stone for Basic Instinct, had agreed to take the role. Now considered a “major star” in the wake of Basic Instinct’s box-office success, Stone received $2.5 million for Sliver, plus a percentage of the profits. Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, and Brad Pitt were reportedly named as potential male leads. Despite hesitation from Paramount executives, Noyce, Evans, Stone, and Eszterhas insisted William Baldwin read for the role of “Zeke Hawkins.”
       The 30 Sep 1992 DV announced the start of rehearsals in Los Angeles, CA, before a month of shooting in New York City. The 27 Oct 1992 HR indicated that principal photography began 13 Oct 1992. According to production notes in AMPAS library files, exteriors of the eponymous apartment complex were filmed at the Morgan Court building at 211 Madison Avenue in New York City’s Murray Hill neighborhood. Crew redecorated the 36th Street exit to double as the building’s entryway, with a glass arcade and redesigned garden area. The courtyard, lobby, and interior apartment sets were reconstructed at the Paramount studios in Hollywood, CA. Zeke’s monitor room was built on Paramount Stage 15, following five months of research and preparation. Meanwhile, a separate unit spent six weeks shooting 250,000 feet of film to be used as security footage of the “sliver’s” various tenants. William Hoy, who worked with Noyce on Patriot Games, edited the footage into 540 separate videotapes. Filming completed 10 Feb 1993, according to a DV item of the same date.
       Roughly one month into production, the 27 Nov 1992 NYT reported that camera crewmembers Michael A. Benson and Christopher Duddy were filming the Pu’u ‘O’o vent of the Kilauea volcano on the island of Hawai’i when their helicopter lost power and crashed on the crater floor. Pilot Craig Hosking called for help and boarded a rescue helicopter, leaving Benson and Duddy stranded on an interior crevice obscured by volcanic gasses. Duddy eventually crawled to the volcano rim, and Benson was saved after two full days without food and adequate water. Hawaii County Fire Chief Daniel Ayala told the 28 Nov 1992 LAT that he hoped to bill Paramount for the extensive repairs and equipment damage of the three rescue helicopters.
       In one scene, Stone’s character, Carly, notices a glass statue of a volcano in Zeke’s apartment, and Zeke mentions his desire to one day fly into a volcano. According to the 18 May 1993 HR and 6 May 1993 LAT, the original ending featured the Kilauea volcano footage Benson and Duddy were assigned to shoot, but this was ultimately cut from the film after receiving a poor response from test audiences. Eszterhas prepared two alternate endings, which would determine “whether or not the Sharon Stone character becomes a willing partner in the voyeurism.”
       Paramount also ran into problems when the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) ratings board objected to several of the film’s “steamy” sex scenes, and requested 110 edits be made to avoid an NC-17 rating. Noyce and producer Robert Evans argued that the MPAA was “unnerved” by the film’s subject of voyeurism, and agreed to make at least fifteen of the recommended changes. To avoid heavily editing or removing the sequences altogether, re-shoots were held the week of 19 Apr 1993, as reported by the 25 Apr 1993 LAT. The 6 May 1993 LAT estimated that the new material amounted to as many as forty pages of dialogue and took ten days to film. The article claimed that Noyce once promised the picture would contain “more male frontal nudity…than ever before” seen in a studio film. However, a test screening at the Paramount studio revealed the rumors to be false. The 18 May 1993 HR also noted that Paramount was forced to re-cut much of the film’s promotional footage, which was deemed too explicit for television.
       The premiere took place 19 May 1993 at the Mann National Theatre in Westwood, CA. The 21 May 1993 LAT stated that the event raised $380,000 for the Stop Cancer charity, headed by Paramount CEO Sherry Lansing.
       According to the 24 May 1993 LAT, Sliver brought in $12 million from 2,100 screens during its opening weekend. Despite poor critical reception, a 22 Nov 1993 brief in Time magazine stated that the film’s meager $37 million domestic gross was nearly doubled in overseas markets. The international release reportedly contained four minutes of footage not shown in U.S. theaters.
       End credits include “Special Thanks” to: “City of Beverly Hills; City of Los Angeles; The New York City Mayor’s Office of Film, Television and Broadcasting; The New York Public Library; Don Shearer; Tom Hauptman; Julie Grau; Hans Bjerno; Harry H. Ueshiro; Richard C. Phelps; Mary Ellis; Professional video monitor wall provided by Sony Corporation of America; Edgar Award – Mystery Writers of America; Dr. Leroy R. Perry, Jr., Chiropractor, and International Sportsmedicine Institute; Cranes and dollies by Chapman; Project process coordination by Hansard®; Wescam provided by Pasadena Camera Systems, Inc.; 24 Frame Video by Inter Video & Video Playback Services; Macintosh computer equipment provided by Apple Computer, Inc.; Supermatch monitors provided by Supermac Technology; After Dark ‘Saturn’ Screensaver provided by Berkeley Systems; Microprose Simulation Software; Bruce Goold – Palm Beach Press, K.S.W., Australia.”
       Credits are accompanied by "Can't Help Falling In Love," performed by UB40, followed by the band's music video for the song, which takes place within an apartment building set resembling the location used in the film.