Zack and Miri Make A Porno - Production

Production

According to Entertainment Weekly, The Weinstein Company greenlit the project based solely on the title. Kevin Smith originally wrote the film to be set in Minnesota, where he had previously shot Mallrats, and where he had stated a desire to shoot again. However, for budgetary reasons, Smith opted to shoot in Pittsburgh, and re-wrote the script to take place in the Monroeville suburb.

The female lead role was written for Rosario Dawson, but Dawson was unable to accept the part, as she had just signed on to film Eagle Eye, whose shooting schedule would have conflicted with Smith's. Smith wrote the role of Zack, however, with Seth Rogen in mind, based on his performance in The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Shooting concluded on March 12, 2008.

There are numerous references to Pittsburgh and the film's setting in the neighborhood of Monroeville and Pittsburgh throughout the film, including a drunken Steelers fan, a Penguins Stanley Cup flag, Miri sleeping in a Penguins jersey and the cast drinking Iron City Beer throughout the film. One scene in the film was shot at the Monroeville Mall, while another scene is featured outside Mellon Arena during a hockey game. Also, during the scene of the goalie body checking the defender, that scene was filmed at the Rostraver Ice Garden with Ice Garden's own 'Bo' as the ref. Ice Garden is about 45 minutes from Pittsburgh. One scene contains a cameo appearance by Tom Savini. The mall was the setting of Dawn of the Dead, which was Savini's first film as an effects artist. About the scene Smith said, "We got to shoot at the Monroeville Mall, and for a movie buff, that's a very cool thing. We had Tom Savini, we shot at the Monroeville Mall, it's as close to a zombie movie as I'll ever get." In the film, Zack plays hockey, and his team's name is the Monroeville Zombies, which is another reference to the George A. Romero film. Even one of the main cast members has Pittsburgh-area roots: porn star icon Traci Lords (who played Bubbles in the film) is a native of Steubenville, Ohio located about a half hour drive west of Pittsburgh.