Although the Golden Child is referred to as a boy throughout the film, J.L. Reate is actually a girl.
George Miller was Eddie Murphy's first choice for director. He turned it down because Murphy kept him waiting at a meeting for four hours.
The film was intended as a serious adventure drama, with Mel Gibson in the lead role. After Gibson turned the film down and Eddie Murphy replaced him, the script was rewritten as a partial comedy.
On the return flight from Nepal, Eddie Murphy starts to sing with the music on the headphones on the plane. The third line/gibberish he sings is, "Eddie Murphy is a cool man."
Gene LeBell: the drunk biker who coughs in Eddie Murphy's face. LeBell has trained fighters such as Chuck Norris and Ronda Rousey.