Creator's Oddball: Some people are surprised to know that this was directed by John Carpenter. In a DVD Commentary, Carpenter reveals that the main reason he chose Starman was because he really wanted to do something different to revitalize his career, after the box-office failure of The Thing (1982) damaged his reputation in Hollywood.
Life Imitates Art: GPS is fairly common these days, and heads-up displays for cars are rare yet not unheard of. A GPS heads-up display could be improvised with a smartphone or tablet and a few parts to simulate the map that "Starman" calls up in one scene.
Uncredited Role: Writer Dean Riesner did seven uncredited rewrites, working with six different directors. Writers Diane Thomas and Edward Zwick also wrote for the film uncredited. According to Riesner, he did not get a screen credit because "the Writers Guild, in their infinite wisdom, decided I didn't contribute 50 percent of the screenplay."
John Carpenter met with Tom Cruise in consideration for the film's title lead role. Carpenter liked him, but Cruise was busy making Legend (1985), so he wasn't available. Kevin Bacon was also considered.
The Series
The Other Darrin: There was actually a good plot-relevant reason from Robert Hays to substitute for Jeff Bridges - as Starman took the form of a recently-deceased person, it makes sense. This trope is played straighter with Michael Cavanaugh replacing Richard Jaeckel as George Fox and Erin Gray replacing Karen Allen as Jenny in the two-parter "Starscape."
