Sir Ridley Scott recalls that this production was one of the most massive undertakings of his career. There were 360 scenes filmed in over 180 different locations.
While filming on-location in the Chiang Mai province of Thailand, Sir Ridley Scott hired many extras from the local villages, some of whom were actual participants in the drug-running operation of Frank Lucas during the Vietnam War.
In the Madison Garden Sequence, only 650 of the spectators on camera were real extras; the other 1,500 were inflatable dummies.
Frank Lucas was excited about the film; however, he admitted that only a small portion of the film was true, and that much of it was fabricated for dramatic effect. Similarly, Richie Roberts criticized the film for its inaccuracy, and said it made Lucas too noble.
Russell Crowe requested tape recordings of Richie Roberts speaking, in order to match his voice mannerisms accurately.
Clarence Williams III: uncredited, as Ellsworth 'Bumpy' Johnson. Williams also played 'Bub' Hewlett in Hoodlum (1997), a Harlem crime drama about 'Bumpy' Johnson.