When it was revealed halfway through production that director Victor Salva had been convicted for child molestation several years earlier, there was a great deal of consternation among many of the cast and crew. The main cause of concern was that many of the production members had brought their families to the set.
Nathan Forrest Winters, who starred in Victor Salva's Clownhouse (1989), protested the film's theatrical release. Salva was convicted of forcing Winters to perform oral sex on him during the latter film's production when Winters was just 12 years old.
John Carpenter had been offered to direct the film, but declined due to scheduling conflicts with him directing In the Mouth of Madness (1994) and Village of the Damned (1995).
Composers John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith both showed interest in scoring Powder (1995). Williams demanded to see the cut first before he decides to do it. Unfortunately, Williams' request was not possible to fulfill due to the very tight schedule between finishing the film and releasing. So Goldsmith finally got the nod. Director Victor Salva stated he is a big fan of Goldsmith's work, especially his film music from the 1960s, but they both differed in what the film needed.