When this film premiered at the 1986 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, reels three and four were sequentially reversed by Sundance staffer and IATSE projectionist David Nelson. Most critics and viewers said that they didn't notice the mistake in what they called an otherwise disappointing film. One of the filmmakers demanded that the incomplete premiere be stopped, and it wasn't rescheduled, the only such film in festival history to do so.
Burt Reynolds was attache to play the lead role of Pete St. John which in the end was cast with actor Richard Gere. It had even been announced in a news article published in the 14th January 1985 edition of show-business trade-paper 'Daily Variety'. Reynolds was not able to perform in the movie because of injuries he suffered on the set of Haut les flingues! (1984). His jaw was broken when he was hit in the face with a metal chair while filming a fight scene. He was restricted to a liquid diet and lost over thirty pounds by the time that movie wrapped. The accident had dire consequences for Reynolds' next movie project 'Stick' (1985). In that movie, Reynolds looked underweight, weak, and thin, and this condition was because of this accident. Apparently, the accident led to Reynolds becoming addicted to painkillers.
Paul Newman was supposed to star in the film, but asked director Sidney Lumet if he could delay filming for a few months. Newman wanted to focus on his race-driving career during the summer, and did not want filming a movie to conflict with that. Lumet refused.
Writer David Himmelstein said that one day, he saw a row of television monitors playing political commercials for different candidates. He said the spots all looked the same to him, so he did research to find out why, and what he discovered, he put into the script.
Andy Garcia, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Kurt Russell, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis were considered to play Pete St. John. In the end, the lead role was cast with actor Richard Gere.