The film is based on Alan Aylward's work with physically disabled children as a recreational therapist at a residential chronic care centre in Toronto from 1974 to 1980.

The original script suggested Nick Nolte as Blake and John Hurt as Johnnie, but both passed on the roles which went to Michael Ironside and Brad Dourif, respectively.

[1] Ironside was on set with Nick Nolte and Powers Boothe in New Mexico making a film called Extreme Prejudice when he was presented a draft of the script for Chaindance by his Toronto agent, Lori Rotenberg.

Ironside had just finished reading the script when Nolte emerged from his trailer to announce that he had just secured the rights to produce Weeds, based on the book by the same name, and also "a prison story".

Inspired by what he interpreted as serendipity, Ironside optioned the script from Aylward in 1987/88, began production in Vancouver, and released the film in 1991.