In 1988, producers Robert Geisler and John Roberdeau contacted Malick, hoping to interest him in doing a movie version of D.M. Thomas' novel.

Streisand chose to make Nuts with director Mark Rydell instead of a film of "The White Hotel" novel by D.M. Thomas, which had a screenplay by Dennis Potter. Streisand would have played an opera singer who is killed in Babi Yar. Rydell ultimately left the production of Nuts.