A movie based on Doug goes as far back as 1993 during the Nickelodeon era, when 20th Century Fox was to have released a movie based on Doug, alongside movies based on Rugrats and Ren & Stimpy, but because the show was canceled and picked up by Disney by the time this film was released, this could technically make this the only Nickelodeon based film released by Disney.
Originally planned as a direct-to-video release under the working title, "The First Doug Movie...EVER!". However, based on the box office success of The Rugrats Movie (1998), Disney decided it was best to give the film a theatrical release.
Released on the big-screen with the Disney cartoon short "Donald's Dynamite: Opera Box" in front of it.
A subplot involving Roger having a crush on Herman Melville in her Hermione disguise was cut from the final version of the film. However, it was kept in the film's novelization.
The last traditionally-animated film to be animated with cels rather than the digital ink and paint process being used for other traditionally-animated films at the time.