Peter Dinklage (Rowlie) says the line "Winter is coming" twice, six years before it became the theme of Game of Thrones (2011) in which he appeared.
There were some earlier "Lassies", in literature of the 1800s, as well as in silent movies. Eric Knight, a British-born author, wrote a Lassie character in a short story in 1940, then expanded it to a novel called "Lassie Come Home", which became the first Lassie sound movie. The original "modern" Lassie was first played by a male collie named Pal in A Força do Coração (1943). Pal is listed on the IMDb as Pal, and played Lassie in all of the early sound movies. His descendants played in the television series and in most Lassie movies and television appearances since.
One thread that connects all of the Lassie projects is Lassie herself. Every one of the long string of Lassie productions has featured a collie directly descended from the original canine star, a dog named Pal. This new movie was made with eight-year-old Lassie the ninth, and three other non-related collies, whose biggest challenge were in scenes swimming across Loch Ness on her way home. "They weren't bred to be water dogs, who have more webbing between their feet and more fat on their body to insulate them for the water," said trainer Carol Riggins, who has steered the Lassie stable through Lassies seven, eight, and nine. "Collies don't have that. When you put them in the water, as soon as they get wet to the skin you have to take them out and you have to blow dry them before you can do the rest of the scene. When they get in the water they get cold and their muscles don't work as well."
Of all the Lassie movies produced, this was the first one to be shot in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio.
On an episode of Would I Lie to You? (2007), Samantha Morton revealed that she kept forgetting the "no food" rule on the set, resulting in Lassie being distracted mid-take by her sandwiches.