First director for the project was Joram Lürsen. He worked two years on the script. But because of scheduling conflicts when shooting was about to start, producer Lemming Film annulled the contract and decided to continue the project with Diederick Koopal.
Director Diederick Koopal had actually directed the real André Hazes once in a commercial for a sausage company.
The director and screenwriter claimed to have based the story on the accounts of many people close to André Hazes, such as his brothers, drivers and family, which would guarantee a high degree of authenticity. However, this view is challenged by Jos van Zoelen, Hazes' former driver and manager, who claims that this movie is primarily the account of Rachel, Hazes' third wife, and therefore contains a lot of inaccuracies.