The main character, John Wilson, portrayed by Clint Eastwood, was based on legendary director John Huston; Jeff Fahey's Pete Verrill writer character was based on novelist Peter Viertel; George Dzundza's Paul Landers producer character was based on producer Sam Spiegel; Marisa Berenson's Kay Gibson character was based on Katharine Hepburn, and Richard Vanstone's Phil Duncan character was based on Humphrey Bogart.
Clint Eastwood agreed to do La relève (1990) in exchange for Warner Brothers letting him make his personal movie project, Chasseur blanc, coeur noir (1990).
This movie was entered into competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 1990. To attend its screenings there, Clint Eastwood halted production on "La relève (1990)" for five days. Reportedly, this cost an estimated $1.5 million. Also, while at Cannes, Eastwood fulfilled his life-long ambition of meeting Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, who had directed "Le Garde du corps (1961)," on which Sergio Leone's "Pour une poignée de dollars (1964)," starring Eastwood, had been based.
Clive Mantle (Harry) earns the title distinction of being the only ever actor whose character truly defeated Clint Eastwood in a fistfight on the big screen. Mantle was around half Clint's age and reportedly struggled to keep up with Eastwood during the shooting of the sequence. The only other time Eastwood's was defeated in a fight was in "Doux, dur et dingue (1978)" when he allowed it to happen out of pity for his opponent.