Guards armed with tranquilizer guns were on set to protect cast and crew from polar bears, one of which interrupted filming when it charged the set.
A tame reindeer herd stood in for the wild caribou during the hunt scene.
Winter scenes were shot in -28 C (-18 F) weather - -45 C (-49 F) with wind chill.
James Cromwell and Barry Pepper both appeared in The Green Mile 1999.