Production
The film was the first to be made by Embassy Pictures after it had been bought by Dino De Laurentiis. Principal photography began in early May 1985, in and around Wilmington, North Carolina, as De Laurentiis operated a large studio complex in the area. De Laurentiis chose North Carolina because it was a "right-to-work state", meaning that he could hire non-union crews, which would greatly cut down on production costs.
It would be the directorial debut of the writer Stephen King, who had a three-picture deal with De Laurentiis. In a 2002 interview with Tony Magistrale for the book Hollywood's Stephen King, first-time director King stated that he was "coked out of [his] mind all through its production, and... really didn't know what [he] was doing". On-set translator Roberto Croci did not remember King's cocaine use, but recalls him drinking from early in the morning until late at night. "I never saw. I didn't. But I did know that he was drunk. That 6 o'clock in the morning we have a roll call and he's drinking beers. And by 8:30, he's on his 10th beer."
At a fan screening in 2021, Jock Brandis, the film's gaffer, told the audience that King rode a motorcycle from Maine to Wilmington, so he could ride alongside semi-trucks on the highway. He wanted to get a better feel for how terrifying big-rigs could be when in close proximity, and to better know their loud sounds and movements. When King arrived at the studio on his bike for the initial production meeting, the security guards wouldn't let him through the front gate because they did not believe he was part of any production taking place on the lot. His appearance was disheveled, and he was rambling on about a film he was to direct involving killer trucks that had come alive due to a space comet. He was granted access to the studio lot after Brandis pointed out that the plates on his motorcycle were from Maine. Brandis, a Canadian gaffer who had worked with De Laurentiis on David Cronenberg's adaptation of The Dead Zone, was tasked with many jobs not normally given to a film gaffer. De Laurentiis erroneously believed Brandis could speak Italian, and would be able to bridge the language gap between Italian cinematographer Armando Nannuzzi and the local crew. Nannuzzi had previously worked in Wilmington with De Laurentiis on Silver Bullet, and would struggle with communication throughout the film, often nodding and replying "yes, yes, yes," to every question. Along with being the production's chief lighting technician, Brandis procured many of the trucks used in production, most of which still featured names from actual local businesses on the cabs and trailers. Brandis is also featured in the opening scenes of the film, driving a 1968 Ford F-Series dump truck over the Isabella Holmes draw bridge when it opens.
Stephen King originally wanted Bruce Springsteen to play the role of Bill Robinson. Springsteen was unknown by De Laurentiis, so De Laurentiis personally hired "Martin's (Sheen) son", Emilio Estevez. It is believed De Laurentiis's insistence that Estevez participate in the film was when King became disillusioned with the production. King did try to create a positive environment for the crew, at one point renting out an entire theater to screen classic films such as Godzilla and Night of the Living Dead. He provided free refreshments and personal commentary during each film. King would also participate in golf cart races on the studio lot during down time.
Many wardrobe and special effects choices were made by De Laurentiis personally. During a dailies screening of Laura Harrington's first scene, De Laurentiis became upset that she was wearing jeans. A new scene was written so her character Brett Graham could change into something more revealing for the rest of the film. The "Dixie Boy Truck Stop" set was built alongside of US-17/74, just across the Cape Fear River near Wilmington, North Carolina. It was a purpose-built location, existing specifically for the film. The land is now a privately owned storage area. All of the interior scenes were filmed at De Laurentiis' Wilmington-based studio facility, which at the time was called "DEG," or De Laurentiis Entertainment Group. One of the iconic Green Goblin heads from the cab of the Happy Toyz truck remained on the studio lot until the mid-90s, when it was sold to a private collector.
While shooting the scene when a lawnmower comes alive in a residential neighborhood, Nannuzzi was struck in the right eye, his "shooting eye", by a large splinter of wood that had become lodged in the blade. According to camera assistant Silvia Giulietti, "We were shooting a scene where a lawnmower—the machine that cut the grass—was following a boy to kill him. And we put the camera on the ground with piece of wood beneath. To wedge, okay? I remember that Armando Nanuzzi [sic] ask to Stephen King, "Can we take out the blades?" But Stephen King say, "no, no, I like to see them." Armando say, "But we don't see them in the shot." But Stephen King say, "No. No. Better that you let it." The special effects department had also suggested removing the blade for safety reasons, but King continued to insist that it remain, so the scene could appear more life-like. Nannuzzi was helicoptered from set and then flown to a hospital in Raleigh where he eventually lost his eye. Production was halted for a brief period, but Nannuzzi returned to finish the film. After the film was released, Nannuzzi sued King, De Laurentiis Productions, and sixteen others involved with the film for $18 million. The suit was filed in New York, as King and many of the other defendants often did business in that state. The case was later settled for $975,000. Nannuzzi continued to work on films after his accident, but believed he would never again be considered for big-budget projects, as producers did not want a cameraman without depth perception. He returned to Italy, where he worked until his retirement in 1998. He died on May 14, 2001.
During some of the studio production work, Wilmington was grazed by Hurricane Gloria. Winds and rain were very heavy, and the crews created a competition to see who could move from stage to stage without being blown over. Production was eventually halted again for a brief time while the storm passed and the studio lot could be assessed for damage.
Pat Hingle, who played Dixie Boy owner Bubba Hendershot, moved to Wilmington after the production wrapped. He lived in nearby Carolina Beach until his death in 2009.
