Jackie Chan said in his autobiography that this movie cost $115-million (HK)--approximately $15 million US-- the most expensive Hong Kong movie ever made up to that time.
According to Jackie Chan's autobiography " I Am Jackie Chan: My Life in Action", while filming the underground base chase scene, he was supposed to swing to a platform with a long chain, but he lost his balance and fell to the ground face-first, dislocating his sternum.
Steve Tartalia was set to play a major villain but fell out of favor with Jackie Chan when he crashed a crew member's motorcycle, having taken it without permission. Chan personally demoted Tartalia to a smaller role.
The hotel scene where Do Do Cheng is in a bath towel, and other gunfight scenes in Morocco were actually shot in Hong Kong, on a hill overlooking Sha Tin. Four tons of sand was imported from the Middle East and an entire hotel set was set up. Bangladeshi and Indian extras were hired to look like Moroccan musicians.