In the dinner scene before the climax, Pierre reveals that he now knows Lupin's first name. In Japan, the "Jr." and "III" naming conventions do not exist as they do in Western countries - craftsman etc. are referred to by the number of generations they come after the founding family member, even if their first names are not the same. The Japanese fan-base for Lupin III generally believes that the character's first name is a secret, as evidenced by the fact that he has never actually been referred to in dialogue or in writing as "Arsène Lupin III". For instance, in Lupin III: El castillo de Cagliostro (1979), Count Cagliostro refers to Lupin as "the Third-Generation Arsène Lupin" to dodge the route of clearly giving Lupin a first name. However, due to the differences in naming conventions, non-Japanese fans and sources have near-universally accepted that his first name is the same as his grandfather's.
This is the second live-action adaptation of Monkey Punch's "Lupin III" manga; before there was Rupan Sansei: Nenriki chin sakusen (1974).
To prepare for the role of Lupin, Shun Oguri underwent 10 months of action training for the role and lost 8 kilograms (17.6 pounds).
Goemon, who wears traditional Japanese robes (usually a fundoshi and hakama) in the manga and anime, was at one point considered to wear contemporary clothes in this film. Ryûhei Kitamura expressed that "it would be nonsense for Goemon to exist in current society wearing samurai garb and carrying around a katana." In the completed film, however, Goemon wears robes similar to his drawn and animated counterparts.