Jon first met author Robert Silverberg in 1984, when they were
introduced by a mutual friend. He optioned Silverberg's 1969 novel
"To Live Again" soon after but was unable to get the project funded.

Ten years later he came across Silverberg's short story,
"Amanda and the Alien," originally published in Omni Magazine, and
instantly saw its potential. After acquiring the rights, Jon wrote the
screenplay, which was then quickly purchased by I.R.S. Media and
Larry Estes, who were producing a package of science fiction films
for Showtime. Jon signed on to direct the project, which went on
to become Showtime's most popular original picture of 1995.