

The filming itself aroused considerable controversy. The script was written by playwright Michael Cristofer. Tom Hanks played Sherman McCoy, with a supporting cast that included Bruce Willis as Peter Fallow, Melanie Griffith as Maria Ruskin, Morgan Freeman as Judge Leonard White, and Kim Cattrall as Judy McCoy. The film was beset by problems from its studio, Warner Brothers, which required that certain actors be contracted to play certain parts. Brian DePalma, a director best known for Scarface, directed the film.

The novel The Bonfire of the Vanities was made into a film, released in 1990.
