Oliver Reed was originally cast as Mordechai Fingers. He was fired after getting in a bar fight and mooning at Geena Davis.

When Renny Harlin fired the chief camera operator following a dispute, more than two dozen crew members quit.

Carolco Pictures, which financed the film, filed for bankruptcy six weeks before it reached theaters.

Matthew Modine was cast partly because he is an experienced fencer.

Renny Harlin is famous for pushing actors to do their own stunts whenever possible. While promoting the film, Geena Davis appeared on talk shows with clips of her doing stunts over and over (including one take where she fell out of the window too soon, rolled down the roof and under the carriage) and explained the bruises and injuries she sustained while filming.

Renny Harlin: [flag] Shopfront window. See also the goofs entry.