Paramount originally intended for the film to be a limited release by Paramount Classics, their art-house division. Later, Chris Rock's involvement and the success of the somewhat similar Austin Powers movies convinced them it had box office potential, so they changed it to a wide release.
According to Louis C.K., the studio removed him and editor Doug Abel from the editing room. They were not allowed to have a final cut of the film.
Louis C.K.'s first draft of the script featured Pootie Tang as a gun-toting vigilante, with explicit violence, sex and swearing. Paramount told him to rewrite the script to get a PG-13 rating. C.K. realized that he preferred Pootie as a positive hero for children, who respects women and only fights in self-defense.