Amy Irving was so impressed with Christian Bale that she recommended him to her then-husband Steven Spielberg, who was casting the lead for his next project, Empire du soleil (1987). Spielberg gave Bale the lead role. The movie received mixed reviews, but Bale was universally praised.
At the time this was filmed, no one knew whether or not Anna Andersen was the Grand Duchess Anastasia. The truth came out after Andersen died, when DNA tests proved she was not.
The cast includes three Oscar winners: Olivia de Havilland, Christian Bale, and Sir Rex Harrison; and two Oscar nominees: Amy Irving and Omar Sharif.