The thick accent Robert De Niro used to play Max Cady reportedly gave Martin Scorsese the creeps. As a joke, De Niro would call Scorsese's house, leaving voicemails as Cady.
Originally, in the scene where Cady puts handcuffs on Lori, she was supposed to start freaking out. Illeana Douglas was the one who came up with the idea of having her character laughing and trying to play along instead.
The scene in the high school auditorium was shot in one take with two cameras.
The climax was filmed inside a ninety-foot water tank on a soundstage. It took four weeks to shoot.