The film is adapted from the novel "" by Washington Irving . The film was all shot in England. Before filming started, Tim Burton used Mario Beva's "Black Sunday", Roman Polanski's "Heavenly Master Catching a Monster" and the Hanmer Horror film as reference films for the main creators.
After investigating the Hudson Canyon and other places where Sleepy Valley is located, the main creative staff agreed that the main scenes should be shot in the studio. Although the local villages are quite consistent with historical records, the artistic conception of the film's story cannot be found.
At the suggestion of producer Scott Rudin, the film crew rushed to London. Bolton and production designer Rick Heinrichs recruited several old partners there, including Spider-Man. The art director Les Tomkins, construction manager Terry Apsey and set designer Peter Young.
