produce with Steve Krantz (qv) and  author Hubert Selby Jr. (qv) Actor Robert De Niro (qv) accepted  a major role in the film. However, the project fell apart when  Bakshi and Krantz had a falling out. Bakshi and Selby became  friends, and, according to Bakshi, they "tried a few other  screenplays after that on other subjects, but I could not shake Last  Exit from my mind."