Yves Marmion, a producer at UGC, tried to get the actor Michel Blanc back into directing by sending him Haddon's book, which Blanc liked, especially its mix of genres, situations "that start gradually degenerating as the characters find themselves sucked into bottomless pits of trouble". However, as there were similarities to the previous film he had directed, Summer Things (Embrassez qui vous voudrez) he declined to direct the new film, while nonetheless preparing a film scenario from it. He wrote five different versions, and Alfred Lot revised the final draft to create the shooting script.Dossier de presse (press file) for Une petite zone de turbulences. 2009 UGC YM – TF1 Films Production. Section : Interview with Michel Blanc, p8-11. When Blanc turned down the direction, Marmion approached Lot, who agreed to direct, and reduced Blanc's two hour and forty minute adaptation, concentrating more on the central character. He and Blanc also decided that there would not be any "easy laughs, that we wouldn’t force the structure. The situations and dialogue were either funny in themselves, or not!".Dossier de presse (press file) for Une petite zone de turbulences. 2009 UGC YM – TF1 Films Production. Section : Interview with Alfred Lot, p4-7.
