 Bogdanovich, McMurtry, and Platt adapted the novel into the film of the same name.Stephen Friedman was a lawyer with Columbia Pictures but keen to break into film production as he had bought the film rights to the book, so Bogdanovich hired him as producer.After discussing the film with Orson Welles, his houseguest at the time, Bogdanovich decided to shoot the film in black and white.