According to screenwriter Larry Gelbart, director Carl Reiner initially envisioned his often-partner Mel Brooks playing God and Woody Allen playing Jerry Landers.
This film briefly interrupted Star Wars: Épisode IV - Un nouvel espoir (1977)'s 15-week reign at the number 1 spot at the box office in October 1977. Star Wars: Épisode IV - Un nouvel espoir (1977) then returned to the top spot the following week.
Jerry Landers was supposed to make an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) in the film. Carson declined the role, thinking that it would be a conflict of interest to appear in a film interviewing a fictional character, so it was rewritten to feature Dinah Shore instead.
Most of Donald Pleasence's scenes were cut from the final film; however, he is fourth-billed despite being in only one scene and having only two lines of dialogue.