In an interview from Maitland McDonagh’s book “Filmmaking on the Fringe: The Good, The Bad, and the Deviant Directors” (via We Minored In Film), Stuart Gordon recalled how he and Brian Yuzna, who produced his first three directorial efforts, got it in their heads to make “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” in the first place:
“I remember really clearly how it all began. I was with Brian Yuzna in his backyard, and he was really upset because his kids had gone to see a movie called ‘The Journey of Natty Gann,’ which was directed by a neighbor (Jeremy Kagan) whose kids went to the same school as they did. The director’s kids invited the entire class to come to an advance screening, and Brian’s kids came home afterward and said, ‘Dad, how come we never get to see any of your movies,’ which knocked his nose a little out of joint.”
Joking that Yuzna “will actually show his kids anything” (apparently, his son even sat in on the dailies for “Re-Animator”), Gordon explained, “My eldest daughter loves horror films, but my middle daughter […] is terrified by them, and the slightest little thing will set her off and give her nightmares.” Illustrating his point, he alluded to an incident where his middle daughter visited the set of “Dolls” and asked if she could keep a doll with “white buttons” after he assured her it wasn’t evil like the other toys. This incident, coupled with Yuzna’s own experience with his kids, convinced the duo to make a film that, among other things, their children could visit during production without fear of being traumatized.