Judging from unused footage in the trailer and behind-the-scenes specials, the opening animated sequence was also shot in live-action, but never used.
The film was rushed to video, due to bad reviews and protests by blind people and their advocates at theaters across the U.S. Disney attempted to deflect by including a disclaimer at the end that argued that the film was not intended as an accurate portrayal of the visually-impaired, which critic Roger Ebert sarcastically proclaimed was the only funny moment in the whole movie. The British Federation of the Blind petitioned the British Board of Film Classification to ban the movie in the UK, claiming it would "bring ridicule upon blind, and partially sighted people".
Contrary to popular belief, Mr. Magoo is severely nearsighted, not blind.
In the early 1990s, the movie was in development at Amblin Entertainment, with Danny DeVito slated to star.