In the original script Alex Rain was a 13 year old girl working undercover for the LAPD. Megan Ward, who had just worked with Albert Pyun on Cyber World (1993), was considered and expressed interest, despite reservations over the high level of violence and a scene in which her character was fully nude (Ward was, obviously, a legal adult at the time). A few test scenes were shot before searching for financiers, which led Pyun to the Shah brothers at Imperial Entertainment. They agreed to bankroll the film on one condition: Alex had to be changed into an adult male and Olivier Gruner, their recent discovery, had to play him. Pyun agreed when the Shahs promised not to influence production in any other way. The concept of Alex being a woman was eventually used in the sequels, played by bodybuilder Sue Price.
The tower that collapses during the climactic chase scene was an actual piece of industrial infrastructure. Construction workers strategically cut the base of the tower, and when it began to fall, the stunt personnel were ready to run. The only special effects utilized for this shot were gasoline bombs used to create the explosion.
In preparation for his role, Olivier Gruner claims he brought his total body fat down to four percent.